


Let Me Hold You

by naribalee_94



Series: And I fell heavy into your arms [1]
Category: Banana Fish (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Alpha Ash Lynx, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Angst, Beta Shorter Wong, Eventual Smut, Fluff, Happy Ending, Lion Ash Lynx, M/M, Maine Coon Shorter Wong, Soulmates, Were-Creatures
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-13
Updated: 2018-12-23
Packaged: 2019-06-26 15:25:48
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 28
Words: 76,728
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15665976
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/naribalee_94/pseuds/naribalee_94
Summary: EDIT: I changed the title, it used to be Forest Lion but I never really liked that I just needed to call it something at the time“Oh my god,” Eiji muttered, looking away when he realized that the man was also completely naked.“I can’t believe you,” the man chuckled, smirking at Eiji. He crossed his arms and cocked his hip to the side.Eiji realized then that the man had a very nice body and he really wanted to get out of there. The whole thing was just getting to be too much and he felt like he was digging himself into a hole.orEiji accidentally runs into a were lion that shifts in front of him into a very naked and attractive man.I will add tags as needed as well. The explicit warning won't really apply until later but I thought I'd be safe.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> There's only one abo fic right now and I couldn't stop myself from writing one too. I've only watched the anime not the manga so let me know if I'm getting something terribly wrong. I will say that I'm considering reading it because I like to torture myself. Anyways, hope you enjoy!

Humans lived among weres, weres making up maybe half the population. Everyone had dormant genes to be turned into a were if they were human, a bite from a were activating them. Being bit by one didn’t necessarily mean that one would turn into the were that bit you either. There were different types of weres; cats, dogs, birds, etc…  
Eiji didn’t know much about weres, only the basic things that were taught in school, since he was a human. Were’s took one different class from humans which Eiji never understood since if one ever bit him, he’d like to know something about what was happening. He supposed it was a way of trying to separate them though.  
He did always fantasize over what type of were he would be when he was younger, wishing to be something cool but he knew it’d be something lame.  
Eiji sighed as he left the building. He was completely behind on his latest article he was writing but after sitting at his desk just staring at a blank word document since he got to there, his associate Ibe had told him to go get some fresh air. He decided to bring his notebook and camera with him even though Ibe had grumbled about him working too much.  
Eiji just needed to be ready if he needed to photograph something or write anything down that inspired him.  
He ended up driving to a forest preserve that was near by that was calm. He found the walking trail quickly, taking a leisurely stroll down it. It was very quite, only the occasional jogger passing him by since it was still fairly early in the morning, only around 930. It would go from wide, open fields to tightly packed forest areas that really only had just enough room for the trail. He enjoyed the wide open fields better but appreciated the quite the forested areas provided.  
Eiji eventually sat on a bench that was in a forested area that wasn’t too tightly packed with trees, there was enough room to actually be able to maneuver off the trail if you wanted too. Eiji was too scared of getting lost off the trail to consider doing that though.  
He texted Ibe that he was going to stay out for a bit and think, when he thought he heard a crunch noise like someone walking through the forest. He looked around to see if he could see anyone but it looked clear around him, even from behind.  
Eiji shrugged, thinking maybe it was his imagination and put away his phone. He pulled out his notebook and pen. He just stared down at the blank page, so intimidating, trying to think of something. Ibe had even told him to just have fun with this column and not think as hard on what to write but he was completely at a loss for ideas.  
He was completely lost in his thoughts when he heard another noise, this time jumping up on his feet to look around.  
“Hello?” Eiji called out shakily. He looked around but didn’t see anyone again.  
When he turned again, he was suddenly only about 10 feet from a lion that was staring him dead in the eye.  
The lion was large, his eyes meeting Eiji’s with an intense look. His eyes were this piercing green that Eiji didn’t know they could have and his mane was beautiful and full though lighter in color then what Eiji thought a lion’s mane looked like. His body was slender but he could tell it held powerful muscles.  
The lions claws dug into the dirt as he took a step toward Eiji, rumbling at him slightly.  
Eiji held perfectly still, completely terrified that if he moved the lion would eat him.  
What was a lion even doing here? The city was so close to where they were, why would one be here? Wouldn’t hunters be after him?  
The lion made a soft noise, one that Eiji considered soft for a lion, before he hunched slightly and suddenly started to shift his form.  
Eiji’s eyes widened as he saw that the lion turned into a tall blonde man. He had sharp green eyes, the same as the lions, that were frowning at him now. His blonde hair was shaggier, almost looking unkempt. He was giving Eiji an intense look, one that matched the lions.  
It took Eiji a second to realize but he just watched a were shift it’s form and he didn’t even attempt to look away. He just made complete eye contact with the man.  
“Oh my god,” Eiji muttered, looking away when he realized that the man was also completely naked.  
“I can’t believe you,” the man chuckled, smirking at Eiji. He crossed his arms and cocked his hip to the side.  
Eiji realized then that the man had a very nice body and he really wanted to get out of there. The whole thing was just getting to be too much and he felt like he was digging himself into a hole.  
“I-I-I’m so s-sorry!” Eiji squeaked. He put his hands up and took a step back. “I’m just-just going to leave now!”  
The man started laughing and that surprised Eiji even more then the situation.  
The man’s laugh was pretty.  
“What’s your deal?” the man asked, face questioning. “You’re alone out here in the middle of no where and you don’t immediately run when you see a lion in front of you. Then you just stare at me while I shift back. What the hell?”  
Eiji felt his face heat up as he started sputtering nonsense.  
“Kid, stop muttering,” the man laughed at him.  
“I’m not a kid!” Eiji yelled back, glaring at the man now. “I’m 20.”  
He crooked an eyebrow at that. “Huh.”  
“I’m sorry I watched you shift,” Eiji was able to say. He felt like his small outburst helped his nerves.  
Eiji was a human and had never seen a were shift before. Most humans hadn’t since it was completely rude to watch something like that.  
“It’s fine,” the lion shrugged, moving now. He moved to go around the bench Eiji had originally been sitting on. He pulled a grocery bag out from behind it, giving Eiji a questioning look before dropping it on the bench and grabbing a pair of boxers out of it. “What’s done is done.”  
He quickly dressed, Eiji still there.  
“Are you like some type of voyeur?” the blonde man asked as he pulled a t-shirt over his head.  
Eiji felt his face heat up again. “No!”  
“Then what are you still doing here, watching me get dressed?” he asked, crossing his arms over his chest.  
“I don’t… know?” Eiji said, though it came out like a question.  
The man smirked before grabbing a phone out of the bag and tapping through it. “You are just something else, human boy.”  
Eiji laughed nervously. He guessed the were could smell that he didn’t have a scent like him.  
“I hope to see you around then,” he smirked, waving goodbye before taking off in a jog the opposite way that Eiji had originally came.  
Eiji just stood there for a couple of minutes, his legs weak before he was able to turn around and start his way back to the office.  
He had never expected to see a were just running around in it’s animal form in the woods, though he imagined that it would probably be the best place to do so. The area was open enough that it would provide the bigger weres room to run about.

\--

Eiji plopped back in his desk chair and groaned, as he slumped farther down.  
“Did you clear your mind?” Ibe asked.  
Eiji just pouted and crossed his arms, not wanting to get back to work even more.

\--

He had only seen the lion for maybe 5 minutes and he felt like he was the only thing he could think about. It was like some weird connection that was almost telling him to go seek out the were. He tried to just ignore it though, just thinking that it was due to the fact that he felt embarrassed because of everything.  
Eiji wouldn’t deny that the were was beautiful. He had lean muscle that matched his lion form. He seemed to have a slight frame but Eiji remembered the muscles that were eventually hidden under clothes.  
Eiji groaned as he took his clothes off for the day, throwing them on the floor of his room, he would pick them up later. He just wanted to sleep and not think so much about the man.  
He pulled on a tank top and just left his boxers on, padding into the kitchen and pulled out a frozen meal, too lazy to make real food and popped it in the microwave. Eiji leaned against the counter as he thought back to the man again.  
His brain needed something else to think about.  
Eiji bet that the mans arms around him would feel nice, comforting.  
Stop.  
There was no way his brain would stop thinking about him.  
The microwave beeped angrily at him, making him jump. He took the food out slowly, peeling back the film that covered it. The steam slightly burned his hand but he tried to just ignore it.  
After grabbing a fork, he made his way into the living room, letting himself fall rather ungracefully onto the couch. Eiji grabbed the remote, just turning on some sitcom he wasn’t going to pay attention.  
“He had a nice voice too,” Eiji thought out loud. He blushed to himself, stabbing the heated pasta in his hand.  
He had to stop thinking about him, Eiji thought with a frown.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I had originally planned to update before I went to bed yesterday but I forgot and one of my lovely cats deleted parts of the story. I don't know what they did but I couldn't get back what they deleted. I fixed this chapter at the very least since I had the day off. That'll teach me to leave technology around them. Enjoy!

“So you saw him shift?” Ibe asked him, leaning forward.  
They were at a coffee shop, Ibe having asked if he wanted to meet up. It had been a couple of days since the incident but he couldn’t get it out of his head. Eiji was grateful, wanting to talk to someone about what had happened. He had told Ibe the minimum amount before but of course he had to know everything.  
Eiji fiddled with the sticker on his cup before taking a sip. “Yeah, I know that’s not like… something people do but I just couldn’t look away.”  
Ibe smiled widely.  
“He was just so big, I’ve never seen a lion before but I feel like he was large for one,” Eiji continued to talk. “It was terrifying but so… so…”  
“So what?” Ibe asked, an evil glint in his eye though he was smiling.  
Eiji huffed, looking up. “Beautiful. His lion form was just so beautiful and then of course his stupid face had to go and be attractive. It was like my chest hurt when I saw it. He seemed so confident and knew his beauty and I just… I’m just going to shut up now.”  
Ibe started to laugh. He shouldn’t have told him anything.  
“Stop laughing,” Eiji hissed, gripping his coffee tight between his hands. “Please.”  
Ibe calmed down, though he was still smiling.  
“Eiji, how long were you with him?” Ibe asked, head tilted a little.  
Eiji shrugged. “Not even 5 minutes.”  
Ibe’s grin turned softer and nodded. “Was it just like so overwhelming, it was like you were hyper focused on him. Like tunnel vision.”  
Eiji nodded quickly, perking up a little. “Yes! That’s exactly like it was. I feel like whatever I do, I can’t stop thinking about him.”  
“Yeah, that sounds about right,” Ibe nodded. “Eiji, I think you just met your soulmate.”  
Eiji blinked, sitting up straighter. " _What_?”  
“Yeah, I know it’s not common or anything,” Ibe said, trying to calm down Eiji. “But I think it’s true.”  
It felt like the small chatter of coffee shop around Eiji had silenced itself in order to listen in on the conversation, though when Eiji looked around he could tell no one cared about what they were talking about.  
Soulmates were rare, heard of but fairly rare. Most people didn’t have them because they aren’t exactly easy to find. Eiji certainly didn’t think he’d ever find someone that was his soulmate. He had heard of maybe one account of someone finding their soulmate and they had ended up being weres. Apparently they were able to smell the attraction between them.  
“You know,” Ibe hummed. “I’ve never heard of a human being a soulmate with a were before. I feel like most stories you hear about are between weres.” Ibe took the lid off his coffee and gulped the rest of it down, making Eiji cringe.  
“Ibe, why are you so insistent that he’s my soulmate?” Eiji sighed. “I really don’t think he is.”  
“No, I know he is,” Ibe huffed, setting his cup down on the table. “Eiji, I think you should find him.”  
“How in gods name am I going to find him in this city?” Eiji scowled. “This city is huge, not to mention the fact that I saw him in a forest preserve. What if he had drove there from somewhere else?”  
Ibe rolled his eyes, waving that off. “I’m sure you’ll find him somehow. Maybe stalk around the forest preserve a little.”  
Eiji made an exasperated noise, looking away. “You’re not helping me.”  
“What did he look like again?” Ibe asked quickly, changing the subject.  
“Why?” Eiji asked, frowning.  
“I’m just curious,” Ibe grinned, looking away from Eiji and then quickly back.  
Eiji sighed, pinching his nose. “He had longer blonde hair with green eyes. He was taller then me by a few inches and had a lean figure. Now, leave me alone and stop making fun of me.”  
Ibe laughed, slumping in his seat.  
When Eiji looked at his friend, he wasn’t looking at him but sort of behind him at the counter.  
“What?” Eiji asked, getting slightly annoyed that he wouldn’t stop laughing.  
“Look behind you,” Ibe chuckled.  
Eiji huffed but turned in his seat. He made eye contact with someone, who happened to glance up at him at the same exact time.  
It was the man from the forest preserve. He was here. At this little coffee shop that Ibe had picked out.  
Eiji’s eyes widened before he whipped back around to stare at Ibe who was laughing so hard his eyes were watering.  
“Oh my god, what do I do? Why is he _here_?” Eiji whispered, panic in his voice.  
“Because of fate,” Ibe said matter of factly. “Fate brought the two of you here.”  
Eiji gave Ibe a crazed look, thinking that he might be clinically insane.  
“He’s coming over here,” Ibe muttered, his smile somehow getting even bigger.  
“ _What_?” Eiji all but yelled. He saw some people glance at him angrily and he tried to give them an apologetic look.  
It was then that he saw the man come around and stop in front of their table.  
Eiji gave a sheepish wave at him that had Ibe laughing again.  
“You’re that kid that watched me at the park the other day,” the man said.  
“First off, I told you,” Eiji immediately started defending himself. “I’m not a kid, I’m 20. Second, it wasn’t like I did it on purpose. T-there wasn’t really anywhere else to look.”  
The man smirked, making Eiji blush.  
“Do you have a phone?” he asked, eyebrow crooked up in question.  
Eiji nodded quickly, practically tipping over his bag with how fast he was trying to get his phone out. He could feel his heart racing just with the mans eyes on him.  
Ibe was just observing, though Eiji could tell he wanted to say something.  
Eiji practically threw his phone at him, when he put his hand out for it, he was trying to get it to him so fast. He tapped through his phone before typing something and then handing it back to Eiji. Eiji just stared at the screen blankly.  
“My name’s Ash and now you have my number,” he said softly.  
“Ash, we gotta go!” someone called by the counter, waving at Ash to try and get him to leave.  
Eiji looked over and saw his friend had a purple mohawk and bright clothes. He was even wearing sunglasses indoors.  
Ash scowled but nodded at his friend.  
“What’s your name, by the way?” Ash asked as he turned to leave.  
“Eiji,” Eiji managed to get out.  
Ash smiled, patting Eiji’s shoulder. “Text me, Eiji.” Then he turned and left, his friend yelling at him that they were going to be late now because of him to which Ash just started yelling back.  
“What just happened?” Eiji asked, a blank look on his face. His shoulder felt warm and tingly where Ash had touched him.  
“You just got your crushes number,” Ibe grinned.  
Eiji felt like he was going to explode his face was getting so red.

It had been a handful of days since he had met Ash and he had given him his number. Ibe insisted the reasons were because he felt the connection too or he at the very least thought that Eiji was attractive. Or both. Either way Eiji just felt like it was too much.  
He wasn’t normally a complete idiot around the people he found attractive. Sure he had a tendency to be shy sometimes but he prided himself on the fact that he was outspoken when he needed to be.  
Also the fact that he knew Ash was a were was making things difficult for him. Humans weren’t able to tell who was a were as opposed to who wasn’t. Of course you knew who was when you were in school and who was separated into different classes. If when you grew up and decided to leave town, there wasn’t really any indicator who was who though. Basically it was around when one would learn sex ed.  
Eiji knew that weres could be either omega, beta or alpha. Omegas went into heat and alphas went into rut. He knew it had to do with mating but as a human, those pheromones that would try and attract a mate didn’t effect him. He didn’t really know much else though other then the fact that weres could change a human with a bite. He supposed it would have to be with someone they really cared about.  
When schools started separating them, they started to gravitate toward who was similar to them resulting in humans not knowing much about were life.  
Currently he was sitting in bed, staring at the text that Ash had sent to himself through his phone that said ‘voyeur human’. He had been ready to go to sleep but the text was really getting to him and he felt he finally needed to address it. He did know that Ash was joking around but it was just _bothering_ him that someone might think that.  
Eiji groaned whenever he looked at it. He wasn’t a voyeur. The whole thing was just an accident.  
He laid down, pulling the covers over up to his chin and rolled to lay on his side though was still looking at the text.  
He sighed before he told himself he was just going to tell Ash that he wasn’t a voyeur and go to bed. Eiji quickly typed out a message and sent it, though not before looking at it a million times.  
E: _I just wanted to say I’m not a voyeur. It was just bad timing_.  
Eiji locked his phone before dropping it on his bed and closed his eyes, settling down for bed.  
It was silent for a few minutes but then he heard a _ping_ from his phone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It might be a little longer to update the next chapter since I'm gonna have to go back and see how much the little stinkers deleted


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all the lovely comments! You're all so nice. Sorry this update is kinda short but the next one should be longer! Hope you guys enjoy :)

Eiji’s eyes flew open and he grabbed his phone, quickly unlocking it and going to his messages.  
A: _Aw, were you thinking about me while you were trying to fall asleep?_  
Eiji frowned before he felt his face heat up slightly. He didn’t even think about the fact that it was almost midnight and what that might imply.  
Little dots popped up before going away and his phone pinged twice that another couple of messages came through.  
A: _Not like I wouldn’t mind that, if you were…_  
were you?  
Eiji felt like his face was on fire before he scowled angrily at his stupid phone.  
E: _I wasn’t thinking about you like that! I just didn’t want you to think that I’m some type of pervert._  
It was silent before another message came through.  
A: _You are just too easy. I’m only joking, I promise_  
Eiji felt mortified, rolling over and groaning into his pillow.  
A: _I want to ask you a question though and I mean it seriously_  
Eiji held his breath, waiting but realized that he should probably say something.  
E: _Sure._  
The little dots kept popping up and going away for a few minutes, the entire time Eiji felt like he was holding his breath.  
A: _Did you feel it too?_  
When the message finally came through, Eiji gasped.  
A: _I feel like you’re all I can think about no matter how hard I try not too, I don’t know what to do_  
Eiji jolted up to stare at that message before taking a screenshot and sending it too Ibe, knowing he would just eat that up. He went back to his conversation with Ash, seeing he had sent another text.  
A: _Sorry if that sounded creepy but it’s true. I don’t think I’ve ever thought about anyone this much_  
Eiji didn’t know what to do with this information but he felt he had to be honest.  
E: _Yeah, I felt like that too. My friend said that it’s a thing. That people have soulmates?_  
After Eiji sent that, he wanted to take it back. He wanted to reach into his phone and yank that text back. He barely knew this guy and he was throwing around the word soulmate like it was nothing.  
He waited in silence for a while, finally laying back down and pulling his covers back up over himself.  
A: _Soulmates…_  
I like that.  
When Eiji read the text, he thought he was seeing things. He had thought maybe Ash would think he was crazy and tell him off. Definitely not that.  
E: _So wait, you believe it? That we’re soulmates?_  
A: _I think I do, I never thought I’d be soulmates with a human though_  
Eiji laughed, rolling his eyes.  
E: _Yeah, well I never thought I’d be soulmates with a were._  
A: _Touche_  
Eiji ended up falling asleep after that, the stress of the conversation exhausting him.

Eiji woke up to hearing the birds screaming outside his window that the morning was there. He groaned, getting up to use the toilet. Since he was already in the bathroom, he decided to just hop in the shower, brushing his teeth in there too. The shower was quick, wrapping a towel around his waist and using another to dry his hair as he made his way back to his room.  
He grabbed his phone to see if he had gotten any messages from work.  
There wasn’t any from work but he had two from Ash.  
A: _Guess you fell asleep, sweet dreams_  
Eiji blushed at that. He felt bad he just passed out but he was definitely prone to that.  
The second was from this morning, not that long ago too.  
A: _Morning, would it be too much if I asked if you wanted to get lunch or something? You can say no_  
Eiji felt like his heart was beating out of his chest.  
This whole thing was so overwhelming. He wondered if it was because of the soulmate thing. Any small word that came from this man made his heart pound in his chest. He had never felt like this before. He knew he was young but he also knew that this wasn’t something just normal everyday people went through.  
He had pretty much gotten the week off work because no one wanted to see him sit at the office and just stare at his laptop anymore. They told him he had to use the week to really work but he had a feeling that he was still going to have trouble. Even if he was in a different setting, that didn’t mean that he was suddenly going to be able to write if he was having trouble. He tried not think much about it but he was having trouble just thinking of an idea for a new article now.  
There was a beep that went off in his apartment, probably his coffee maker telling him that his coffee was ready, it set on a timer from the night before.  
He would be free that day anyway, why not spend it with Ash?  
E: _No, I don’T THINK IT’D BE TOO MCHU, WHERE DO YOU WANT TO GO?_  
Eiji had hit send before he realized that he had accidentally made everything capitalized. He fell on his bed, making a pathetic noise before a text came through.  
A: _Wow, you must really like me. Is it the hair?_  
E: _It was an accident, ugh. Sorry!_  
A: _So you do like my hair?_  
Eiji screamed into his pillow, wanting to throw his phone into a shredder.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I split up the lunch date into two chapters because it was getting to be so long, the next one should be out soon :)  
> I was watching Steven Universe while writing part of this and I don't know if you guys have watched it but I imagine Ash and Eiji are like Ruby and Sapphire, wanting to be fused constantly. They just really seem like they'd always be there for each other

They made plans to meet at a cafe halfway between their two houses. They actually lived quite close to each other, maybe a 30 minute walk. They didn’t have plans until 1 so Eiji tried to take the morning to work on an article but he ended up doing research on something and one thing led to another and he was watching cute cat videos on youtube.  
After watching a video of kittens being adorable, he let the next video load without paying attention, looking at his phone. It was silent for the most part, only hearing the camera clicking as it unzoomed. He looked up to see two lions on screen.  
The video was called ‘[lion & lioness acting cute](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HYUu9GWJn_E)’. The female lion was demanding cuddles and head rubs from the male lion, making Eiji laugh loudly. She literally flopped on top of him and rolled around on top of the male, rubbing her head on him. The rest of the video was just them grooming themselves.  
Eiji wondered if Ash was affectionate like those lions, if he would have similar characteristics to his animal counterparts.  
The next video that loaded was a 7 minute clip of [lion cubs](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-mSr2FPglcY) playing and tackling each other. The rest of the pride was just sleeping or laying down as the cubs played. At one point, one of the females came over and watched them briefly before going to lay back down. It made Eiji’s heart swoon. Was that how Ash had acted as a child?  
He eventually had to just click out of the window and shut his laptop, knowing he wasn’t going to get anywhere with his work.  
Eiji decided to clean his apartment for a bit, mostly just turning into reorganizing things. He moved around some of the things on his shelves, cleaning off the dust as well.  
Organizing and cleaning helped lessen his nerves over seeing Ash again. He was excited to see him but at the same time beyond nervous.  
He started to get ready, knowing he was going to have a hard time figuring out clothes. Eiji didn’t know if he should call it a date though he supposed it kind of was a date but he could be getting ahead of himself.  
He was overthinking things again.  
Eiji had no clue what to wear. He wanted to look nice but he didn’t want it to look like he was trying really hard. He was practically ripping apart his closet, throwing all the clothes onto his bed after he deemed them stupid.  
“Ugh, it shouldn’t be this hard!” Eiji yelled, hands fisting in his hair and yanking slightly.  
He went to grab his phone to call Ibe, wanting some advice. When Eiji looked at his home screen, he found that he had 3 missed calls from Ibe and a handful of texts from him as well.  
Oh, it was probably because he had sent that screenshot to him without any context.  
He clicked on his friends name and pressed the phone to his ear, picking up a button up shirt from his pile that didn’t look half bad.  
“Eiji, what the hell!” Ibe answered the phone, practically yelling into the receiver.  
“Yes, yes,” Eiji sighed. “I know. I should have texted or called you back sooner, I forgot I sent that to you.”  
Ibe scoffed into the phone. “Sure, you forgot. So, he feels the same as you?”  
Eiji grumbled, knowing this was a bad idea.  
“I’m hanging up,” Eiji snapped.  
“No, no!” Ibe said hurriedly. “Eiji, he said he feels the same connection that you did. That definitely means something.”  
Eiji sighed, not wanting to say what he was going to say next. “Yeah, I know. It’s kind of a lot but, um, I’m… I’m going out to lunch with him soon.”  
“I’ll be over in 10!” Ibe yelled before the line went dead.  
Eiji looked at his phone as it hung up. Great.

Ibe helped Eiji pick out a nice outfit though it took both of them a while to agree on everything. For some reason they outfitted him in many layers and he knew he was going to be hot now.  
Eiji was wearing the button up he had liked earlier. It was an off-white color, maybe a super light blue. That was the bottom layer, with a red long sleeved shirt over it. Then on top of that was a dark blue jacket, though it was light. His pants were tan slacks that were comfortable enough, with nice dress shoes.  
Ibe was currently moving the jacket by an inch here or there, making Eiji regret asking him to help.  
“I think I look fine,” Eiji huffed, slouching a little. “Please, if I don’t leave now I’ll be late.”  
Ibe grumbled but moved away. “Fine I’ll drive you there.”  
Eiji groaned but didn’t protest, knowing that Ibe wouldn’t take no for an answer.  
It didn’t take long to get to the cafe that they were supposed to meet at. Eiji saw Ash waiting outside, leaning against a wall and looking at his phone. He was wearing a long sleeve black, maybe really dark blue shirt. He had plaid shirt tied around his waist, maybe a jacket since it looked thicker. He was wearing skinny jeans that had some rips in them and red converse.  
Eiji felt his heart pick up and his face get flushed slightly.  
“Go get him Eiji!” Ibe grinned widely, waving at him to get out of the car.  
Eiji thanked him for driving him there, though blushing the entire time, before slamming the door shut and turned to face Ash who wasn’t leaning against the wall anymore but had walked over to Eiji.  
Eiji felt himself get nervous again, staring at the were that was so close to him.  
“H-hi,” Eiji managed to squeak out.  
He wanted to hit himself over the head with a bat. He wasn’t normally all shy and intimidated by someone. Ash must really be having that affect on him.  
Ash smiled slightly, more of a smirk than a smile though.  
“Bye Eiji!” Ibe yelled from the car, the window down, as he started to drive away.  
“So, I thought that we could get some lunch here?” Ash asked, pulling Eiji’s attention away from Ibe leaving, turning to gesture at the cafe.  
Eiji smiled, taking in the building. It was quaint and seemed like it was cozy. Eiji could only see a handful of people inside, some by themselves reading and others talking amongst themselves.  
“Well, let’s go in,” Eiji smiled, pointing at the building.  
Ash stared for a moment before nodding and leading the way in.  
Eiji followed behind Ash closely, almost bumping into him when he stopped paying attention. He looked up and saw a large board with items on it, ranging from cold and hot sandwiches, shakes, smoothies and of course different types of coffee. He saw they had fries and burgers as well, a large grill behind the counter that had burgers going on it.  
“What can I get you kids?” a man behind the counter asked, folding his arms across his chest.  
“Get whatever you want, Eiji,” Ash told him, turning slightly to look at him. “I’m paying.”  
Eiji hadn’t expected Ash to pay and despite what he said, he just ordered a cheaper sandwich as well as a shake.  
Ash shrugged when Eiji insisted that was all he wanted, preceding to order a large sandwich, fries, a shake, and a soda.  
Eiji just stared at him, not knowing if he should laugh.  
“I’ll bring the food out when it’s ready,” the employee told them as he handed Ash back his card. He gave Ash a cup to get his soda as well as a smaller one when Eiji asked for a cup of water.  
They went to get their drinks, taking a seat in a booth near the back that was quieter.  
They still hadn’t said much and it was making Eiji nervous. He didn’t know how they were supposed to interact and he felt a little awkward.  
“So-“ Ash began after they were seated in silence a few minutes but Eiji interrupted him.  
“This is awkward right?” Eiji asked hurriedly. “Ah, sorry, I shouldn’t have said that. I guess I’m just nervous.”  
Ash gave Eiji a look before taking a sip of his soda. “I don’t know. It’s kind of rushed, I’ll give you that but I mean, you’ve already seen me naked.”  
Eiji blushed slightly but tried to hold firm. He wasn’t going to stutter. “I mean, yeah. That was a complete accident though!”  
Ash smirked. “Sure it was.”  
Eiji groaned. “I’m not some pervert that goes around looking for naked men!”  
The employee who was bringing over their food picked a terrible time to come over, placing the two trays on the table. She gave Eiji a look but turned and walked away.  
Ash started laughing loudly, looking away from Eiji slightly.  
“Stop laughing!” Eiji whisper yelled at the man.  
“I can’t help it, that was hilarious,” Ash snorted.  
Eiji started laughing to then, hearing Ash’s snort.  
“Okay, okay,” Ash said as he settled down some. “In all honesty, I was nervous to come meet you too. I had built you up as this amazing person in my head and I didn’t know if you would live up to that person if I met you again. But here you are, cute and hilarious in the best of ways.”  
Eiji started at Ash with wide eyes, not expecting that from him at all.  
“I, um, wow,” was all Eiji could say.  
Ash started eating then, munching on his fries.  
“So, what do you do for work?” Eiji asked, trying to come up with things to talk about. He took a bite of his sandwich, making a happy noise.  
“I work in construction,” Ash offered, taking a sip of his shake. “It’s not exactly amazing work but it pays the bills and it’s like a workout.”  
Ash was now dipping his fries in his chocolate shake, making Eiji crave that as well.  
“What do you do?” Ash asked, shoving a couple of fries in his mouth that were dripping with shake.  
“Oh, I’m a journalist,” Eiji said, taking a sip of his vanilla shake now. He was craving chocolate now, Ash making the chocolate shake look good. “I write articles and such. I take pictures too.”  
“Oh,” Ash said, sitting up a little. “That, like, really seems to suit you for some reason.”  
“Yeah, most people say that,” Eiji nodded.  
“I didn’t mean that as an insult,” Ash said quickly, worry on his face. “Just that it was sort of something I was thinking that you do? I don’t know. Sorry if that came badly.”  
Eiji laughed a little. “It’s fine, I promise.”  
They talked about easy things, getting to know about each other. Ash seemed kind of grumpy and overly confident but as they talked, Eiji found out that he was actually sweet and really cared about his friends, if the way he talked about them was anything to go by.  
They had long since finished their food, slurping up the dregs of their shakes, just talking with each other about nothing in particular. Even though Eiji had been so nervous and felt awkward before, he found that they were able to speak like they had known each other forever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Basically their outfits are the ones when they first meet in the anime.  
> And thank you again for the nice comments, you guys are great! I definitely read all of them, I just need to sleep now since I have work in a few hours


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New chapter, yay!  
> I might have a hard time posting as frequently as I have been. My kitten was hospitalized for the last few days and I just got her back home last night. They still don't know what's going on with her so I'm trying to focus on her and making sure she's doing okay. She's definitely a fighter so I'm hoping she gets over whatever's going on

After they were done, they got up to leave but Ash asked if Eiji wanted to go for a walk to help walk off the food they had just eaten.  
Eiji readily accepted, not wanting to leave Ash just yet.  
“So… favorite season?” Eiji asked as they walked down the block. They had been asking random questions if they had a lull in the conversation though there hadn’t seemed to be many.  
“I don’t know, probably…” Ash cut off, clearly thinking. “Maybe spring? Everything is growing and really starting to become beautiful but it’s not too hot like summer.”  
Eiji nodded. “I like fall. I like bundling up and wearing sweaters. Being able to drink hot coffee or cocoa comfortably is great.”  
Ash laughed. “Oh, so you’re a teenage girl that loves Starbucks?”  
Eiji scoffed, stopping at a light to cross the street. “I am not a teenage girl! I just like coffee and fall.”  
“I think everyone does,” Ash hummed, a playful glint in his eye.  
Eiji pouted while they waited for the light to change so they could cross. When the light changed, Eiji immediately started to walk into the intersection but he was yanked back rather harshly, stumbling into Ash’s chest.  
Eiji didn’t even have time to register what happened when a car was speeding past him, having ran the red light and barely avoiding him. Had he crossed, he would have been hit.  
Eiji was pressed against Ash’s chest, feeling him growl lowly as he watched the car speed off. He looked up and saw how angry Ash looked.  
“I’m fine,” Eiji quickly said, trying to appease him.  
Ash blinked, looking down at Eiji. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you.”  
“You didn’t though,” Eiji said. He pushed away from Ash’s chest to turn and look at him. “I’m pretty sure you just saved my life.”  
They just stared at each other before Ash cleared his throat, nodding at the crossing.  
They quickly walked across it, Eiji slightly tripping on the curb but Ash caught him. Ash laughed at him but Eiji just smacked his chest.  
The two of them walked around a few blocks before they headed back to the cafe.  
“So, I’ll text you later?” Ash said, sort of a question in his voice.  
Eiji nodded.  
“Is your friend picking you up?” Ash asked as he walked over to a truck.  
“Uhh,” Eiji simply said. He had forgotten Ibe had drove him.  
“I can drive you home if you want,” Ash grinned. “I promise I don’t bite.”  
Eiji rolled his eyes but accepted the ride readily.  
They got in the truck, Eiji almost falling because he didn’t realize how high it was off the ground.  
“So where too?” Ash asked, putting the truck into gear.  
“Go straight on this street for a bit and I’ll tell you where to turn,” Eiji told him.  
Ash hummed, pulling out into traffic. “Do you play an instrument at all?”  
“No,” Eiji said. “Do you?”  
Ash laughed, shaking his head. “I was hoping you’d be cooler then me and was able to play guitar or something.”  
“Nope,” Eiji said, popping the p on ‘nope’.  
They were silent for a little bit, Eiji telling Ash when to turn when Eiji finally got up the courage to ask about the were part of Ash.  
“So… you’re a lion?” Eiji asked carefully. He knew that some weres were secretive about the animal they were, though he already knew for certain what Ash was.  
“Yeah, my blonde hair makes my mane look really light and weird,” Ash said, blowing on said bangs that had fallen in his eyes though they fell right back.  
Eiji had thought that Ash’s lion form was gorgeous from what he could remember. The fact that Ash thought he looked weird was saddening to Eiji.  
“No, I didn’t think it looked weird,” Eiji said, quickly. “You were… you were really beautiful looking.”  
Ash blinked over at Eiji but turned back to the road as they came to a stop at a light. “What?”  
Eiji winced, feeling himself start to ramble. “You did. You looked gorgeous out there. You were huge. Bigger then most lions right? Most aren’t that big, I don’t think. You were so cool looking. It was so cool to watch you shift and then you turned into this hot guy and-and I’m going to shut up now, oh my god.”  
Ash was just staring at him with wide eyes, mouth slightly agape. “Um…”  
A car honked it’s horn loudly and long at them, making Ash jolt and go back to looking at the road as he drove off. He waved at the person behind in apology but Eiji could tell the man was mad as he looked back.  
“So you think I’m hot?” Ash asked.  
Suddenly the car was unbearably hot and Eiji wanted to take off every layer he had on. He felt like he was over heating he was so embarrassed he even said that.  
“W-well, I mean-“  
“You said I’m hot,” Ash smirked over at Eiji.  
Eiji let out a frustrated groan. “Is there something wrong with that?”  
Ash continued to smirk. “No, I just like that you admitted that you’re attracted to me too.”  
Eiji made an embarrassed noise, the two of them falling into comfortable silence until they finally reached Eiji’s apartment.  
“Thanks for driving me home,” Eiji smiled, taking his seatbelt off and turning to look at Ash.  
“It was no problem,” Ash smiled. “Now I know where you live.”  
Eiji rolled his eyes though was still smiling. “I had fun today.”  
Ash nodded, smiling. “Me too.”  
Eiji had made to get out but he was being quickly pulled into Ash’s arms and hugged tightly. He laughed but realized that Ash was sniffing him slightly and making what sounded like a happy noise.  
“Um…” was all Eiji could manage.  
Ash pulled away, happiness in his eyes.  
Eiji got out of the truck then, having to jump down slightly.  
“Text me when you get to your apartment,” Ash said before Eiji closed the door.  
“Okay,” Eiji laughed, shutting the door and waving goodbye.  
Ash waited until Eiji was in the building before leaving. It made Eiji’s stomach do flips knowing that Ash cared about him that much already.  
Eiji made it upstairs and to his apartment quickly, feeling like he was just floating. He quickly sent a text to Ash, letting him know that he was in his apartment before dropping down onto the couch and turning on the tv.  
It wasn’t long before Eiji felt himself start to fall asleep but then he heard his phone ping, letting him know he had a message. He woke up, sitting up properly and grabbing his phone from the coffee table.  
The screen lit up and showed him that he had a few missed texts from Ibe and one from Ash. Eiji decided to open Ash’s first.  
A: _I’m glad you made it to your apartment safely._  
All he could hear was the quite voices from the tv as he thought about what to write back to Ash. It shouldn’t be that hard but he really did feel like a little girl trying to talk to their crush.  
His phone started ringing then, Eiji thinking for a second it was Ash but then realized it was Ibe. He probably wanted to know how the date went.  
Eiji let it ring three times before he picked it up, having to brace himself.  
“Hey,” Eiji said quickly.  
“How was it?” Ibe immediately asked. “It wasn’t awkward or anything, right?”  
“It went really great,” Eiji said, walking into his room. He placed the phone between his ear and his shoulder, tugging his pants off. “I just got home a little bit ago.”  
Ibe was quiet for a moment before Eiji just heard him make a noise.  
“That was hours ago that I dropped you off!” Ibe laughed. “What did you guys do?”  
Eiji set his phone down on his dresser, putting it on speaker as he changed out of his clothes. “We talked and then took a walk and then he drove me home.”  
“You just talked?” Ibe said. “For that long?”  
Eiji pulled a tank top on.“Um, well. Yeah”  
Ibe made an happy noise. “I’m glad you guys are getting along that well.”  
Eiji got off the phone with him quickly after that, going back into his living room to watch tv. He pulled out his laptop, trying to work some. He actually managed to narrow down some topics and start some research before he decided he should probably get to bed since it had gotten pretty late.  
Eiji sighed as he laid down on his bed, remembering he had forgotten to text Ash back.  
E: _Sorry, I forgot to text you back, I was trying to do some work._  
The message just said delivered for a long time, Eiji just staring at it. When it said read, Eiji perked up. The dots popped up before disappearing and a message came through with a ping.  
A: _It’s okay, that’s good you were able to start working a little though. I know you were having a hard time_  
Eiji smiled at his phone.  
E: _Thanks, I’m still trying to figure things out but I think I was able to clear my mind some._  
The little dots kept popping up and disappearing, making Eiji slightly agitated. He rolled over on his stomach and pushed himself up on his elbows with his pillow shoved out of the way. He tapped over to Facebook, getting too anxious from waiting.  
He was barely paying attention when he saw that his phone was ringing then it turned to a face time request. The only one that face timed him was Ibe and it was later at night so he figured that it was okay, swiping to accept when he realized that it wasn’t Ibe, it was Ash.  
“Ash!” Eiji scrambled to sit up, his heart suddenly racing.  
“Hey,” Ash smirked into the camera.  
Eiji could see that his room was dark, his lights probably turned off so he couldn’t really make out much that was behind him, only his face and sort of his shoulders. He looked like he was wearing a loose green shirt that was falling from his shoulder slightly.  
“Uh, what can I help you with?” Eiji asked.  
Ash laughed, moving a little. “I just missed your face.”  
Eiji blushed before laying down again, this time on his side and moved the phone with him to lay next to him.  
Ash laughed softly. “It’s like we’re in the same bed.”  
Eiji blushed even harder, shifting a little uncomfortably.  
It was silent for a moment before Eiji remembered something he had wanted to ask Ash.  
“Are you in school right now?” Eiji asked.  
Ash nodded, yawning briefly. “Yeah, I take classes online. It’s easier that way.”  
“What’s it like to be a were?” Eiji asked then.  
Ash started laughing, clearly not expecting that question. “Where did that come from?”  
“I don’t know,” Eiji bit his lip. “I’m just curious I guess.”  
“Well what do you want to know then?” Ash hummed.  
“Just… what it’s like,” Eiji shrugged as best he could while laying on his side.  
“I mean it’s not too different from being human I would imagine,” Ash told him. “I guess we kind of act similar to our animal counterparts in some sense.”  
“Do you think you have similar personalities to them?”  
“Well,” Ash cleared his throat. “Like I said, I think we do in some sense but maybe not the way humans think? Even animals have different personalities. So, just because I’m a were, and a lion one at that, doesn’t mean that my personality stems from that. I can be very different from how one thinks a lion acts.” Ash got a triumphant look in his eye at the end of the sentence.  
“I know that lions, even male lions, in the wild seek affection from others in their pride,” Eiji teased, loving being able to watch Ash’s face get the slightest tinge of red to it.  
Ash huffed, looking slightly to the side before glaring at Eiji.  
“So what’s it like to be a human then?” Ash asked quickly.  
Eiji was left a little stunned, not expecting that question. “Oh, well. It’s normal I guess. I’m 100% boring.”  
Ash shook his head. “You’re not boring.”  
Eiji just laughed. “Eh, I think I’m a little boring.”  
“Don’t ever think like that about yourself,” Ash scolded Eiji.  
Eiji smiled at Ash who smiled back at him. “But really, come on. Tell me what it’s like. That’s got to be more interesting then my life.”  
“I disagree, stop belittling yourself,” Ash scolded again. He gave Eiji a harsh look before continuing. “I like being in my lion form more then my human one but I know the consequences of staying in it for too long so I try to limit how long I stay in it. Especially since I can’t really just go walking around downtown as a lion.”  
Eiji laughed, nodding.  
“I hate going through rut, it’s the most annoying thing that happens I think,” Ash scowled. “So I take suppressants to stop it but I had to come off of them recently because I went too long without having one. So I get to have one, yay me.” His voice was flat, clearly unenthused about having to have one.  
Eiji frowned, hoping it would hide the blush that was spreading. Rut’s were where alpha’s wanted nothing more then to find something and mate with it. That’s what Ash was talking about right now. Sex.  
“H-how long did you go without having one?” Eiji asked, slightly curious.  
“I don’t know, like a year? Maybe two?” Ash said, looking away a little.  
Eiji even knew that was a long time to not have one and he didn’t know much on hybrid culture.  
“Wow, that’s-“  
“I know, a really long time but they’re bothersome,” Ash waved it off. “Something else about being a were. Hmmm… Oh! Scents really overwhelm me sometimes. Like scents from people. It can be a lot to take in.”  
Eiji took in the new information, not sure what to do with it. He was learning new things about Ash and he liked that. Even if some of it revolved around sex.  
“Hey Eiji,” Ash asked softly, yawning.  
“Hmm?”  
“Would you let me turn you ever?” Ash asked, Eiji barely able to tell but he thought that Ash was blushing.  
“I… uh… I don’t know?” Eiji offered, unsure.  
“I wonder what you’d be,” Ash hummed. “Maybe a lion like me.”  
Eiji laughed, able to tell that the were was getting tired.  
“I’m really glad I met you Eiji,” Ash yawned, his eyes blinking shut slowly.  
“I should go,” Eiji said, not wanting to keep him up late. “I’ll talk to you later.”  
Ash blinked himself awake slowly though still looked like he was ready to fall back to sleep any second. “No, no. Stay on the line?”  
It was obvious that Ash was more affectionate when he was tired, Eiji finding it adorable. “Okay, how about until you fall asleep?”  
Ash nodded, eyes slipping closed and the phone moving slightly but Eiji was able to see his face still. It was a nice face. Sort of feminine looking but Eiji could see the masculine features in the fact that he had blonde stubble on his chin and his sharp jawline.  
True to his word, Eiji stayed on a little longer though he felt like a creep, until he hung up. He sighed, rolling onto his back to look at the ceiling. “I can’t believe this.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Come talk to me on tumblr if you'd like :)  
> naribalee.tumbr.com


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got this out sooner then I thought I would! Yay!! Thank you for all the nice words and I hope you enjoy :D
> 
> PS My kitten's doing great, though I was just told she may have to have an ultrasound because they think she may have ibd and she has to have more blood work done too which I'll probably do during her spay. I swear, this girl is lucky I love her

Eiji felt like the two of them were getting along well for having not known each other long. They had been together for a few weeks at this point, seeing each other when their schedules allowed it. It wasn’t as often as the two of them would like but they at least talked on the phone almost everyday. They weren’t dating but they weren’t _not_ dating either, they just hadn’t put a label on it yet and Eiji felt surprisingly okay with that.  
Ash had the day off and Eiji ended up having a half day at work so the two of them decided to go to the fair not far from them. They drove there in Eiji’s car, Eiji picking Ash up. They had barely gotten out of the car when they realized that storm clouds had rolled in and it had started to rain, hard.  
They quickly abandoned that idea, getting back in the car. Luckily they were only in the rain for a short time so they weren’t really wet.  
“Okay, I definitely didn’t think it would rain today,” Ash laughed, slumping in his seat.  
“Yeah, this sucks,” Eiji nodded. “I wanted to beat you at the games.”  
Ash rolled his eyes. “Clearly you’re delusional if you thought you were going to beat me.”  
“Sure,” Eiji laughed. “What do you want to do then?”  
Ash shrugged. “Wanna hang out at my apartment?”  
Eiji hadn’t been over yet so he was excited to see the others apartment, agreeing quickly.  
The drive to Ash’s apartment was quick, not many people out on the roads since it was raining. After they parked, they ended up running into the apartment, it was raining even hard at that point.  
Ash unlocked the door quickly, leading them into the cramped breezeway. Ash immediately apologized for how little room there was in it, their shoulders touching. The two were slightly damp at that point, the rain getting them.  
“It’s fine,” Eiji laughed.  
Ash quickly unlocked the door to the actual apartments, letting Eiji go through first.  
“It’s not much,” Ash shrugged, leading Eiji up a flight of stairs.  
“It’s not like I was expecting you to live in a mansion,” Eiji snickered, taking Ash’s hand and squeezing. “I like you for who you are, even if we haven’t known each other long. I don’t expect you to be something you’re not.”  
Ash paused on the stairs to look down at their hands.  
“Ah, sorry,” Eiji blushed, quickly taking his hand away.  
Ash was quick to snatch it back up and squeeze Eiji’s hand firmly.  
“Thanks,” Ash said softly, moving up the stairs again.  
They made their way to the second floor, walking down the hall until Ash stopped at a door and shoved his key in the lock and turned it.  
“Oh, I forgot to tell you,” Ash said as he pushed the door open. “My roommate might be here.” Ash let Eiji go through the door first, regretfully letting Eiji’s hand go.  
Eiji took in the room, a large living room with an old, sort of ugly, green couch up against the wall with a tv on the other side. There was a coffee table in the middle that looked old too. The floor was hardwood but there were carpets under the coffee table and at the doorway.  
Eiji quickly took his shoes off, though noticed Ash didn’t, setting them near the door.  
Eiji looked a little farther and saw a bathroom straight ahead and then what looked like a hallway to the left of that. Just before the bathroom there was an opening to the right that looked like dining room with a small table in it.  
“Hey, Ash,” a voice called from what was probably the dining room. “Why are you back so quick?”  
“It’s pouring out,” Ash said, sort of sounding exhausted. “Eiji came over to hang out here instead.”  
A head poked around the wall, Eiji looking over at him. It was the person from when they met at the coffee shop. The one with the purple mohawk. Currently it was down, resting messily on his head.  
He grinned at Eiji before walking over and holding out his hand. “Nice to meet you, Eiji,” he said happily. “I’m Shorter, Ash’s friend and roommate.”  
“H-hi,” Eiji said, shaking the mans hand. “Nice to meet you too.”  
Shorter laughed, making Eiji blush slightly out of nerves. “I’ve heard so much about you, I feel like I know you already.”  
Eiji looked over at Ash, seeing the were blush faintly and look away from Eiji. It made Eiji grin happily in turn making Shorter bark out a laugh at the two of them.  
“Shut up,” Ash grunted, grabbing Eiji’s wrist and walking him towards what seemed at first to be the bathroom but to the left was a short hallway and then a bedroom. The room wasn’t big, just fitting a bed and a dresser in it. The bed was shoved against the far right corner of the room and wasn’t made, though Ash made an attempt to try and make it look presentable, smoothing them out some. There was a handful of dirty clothes on the floor that Ash quickly threw in his closet as well.  
Eiji turned around to take in the room and blushed when he saw Shorter peeking in slightly, prompting Ash to stomp over to the door and slam it shut.  
Eiji laughed nervously, fiddling with his shirt now.  
“Sorry about him,” Ash huffed as he walked over to his bed and sat down. “He’s very annoying!” He said this rather loudly, making Eiji think the walls were thin enough to be heard through.  
They heard a loud snort before the tv was turned on, fairly loud since it was on the other side of the wall to Ash’s room.  
“So, we can watch a movie if you want?” Ash said, patting the bed so Eiji would sit down and stop fidgeting. “I forgot Shorter might be here. I know he has homework to do for class though so he’ll probably be busy.”  
Eiji just shrugged. “It’s up to you.”  
Eiji finally stopped fidgeting and went to sit next to Ash, pulling his legs up to sit cross legged on the bed to face Ash. Luckily they hadn’t gotten too wet from the rain and were already drying.  
Ash leaned over and started to undo the laces on his shoes, toeing them off and just kicking them away from the bed.  
“I say we just stay in here and watch movies. That way Shorter’s not all up in our business,” Ash groaned, leaning back once he was done taking his shoes off. “Want to order something to eat?”  
“Sure, what do you want?” Eiji asked, pulling at a loose string on his jeans.  
Ash moved onto the bed more, grabbing his laptop that was shoved under the covers and opening it up. “Let’s see.”  
Eiji nodded, staying where he was, even though Ash was at the head of the bed still facing him but had made plenty of room for Eiji to move next to him. Ash clicked around on his laptop before looking up after a few minutes to look at Eiji.  
“You can come up here to help too,” Ash said gently, patting the place next to him.  
Eiji flushed, crawling over to sit between Ash and the wall, legs pulled up to his chin but looking at the laptop.  
“So, what were you thinking?” Ash asked, on a website for food delivery. “I’m think something easy.”  
“I’m thinking tacos,” Eiji said.  
“Tacos are messy and I don’t want to eat them in my bed,” Ash glared, pointing a finger at Eiji.  
Eiji rolled his eyes, batting the finger away from him. “Pizza?”  
Ash hummed before nodding. He clicked on a pizza restaurant, clicking on he largest pizza. “What kind of toppings do you want?”  
“Cheese?” Eiji shrugged. “I don’t really have a preference.”  
Ash made an annoyed face, clicking on pepperoni, though only put it on half the pizza. “I don’t care what you say. I still want meat.”  
Eiji snorted, nodding. “Fine but you can’t have any of my cheese side.”  
“I’m paying, I can eat whatever I want!” Ash declared, poking Eiji in the side.  
“No, you are not,” Eiji said, grabbing the finger that was poking him and squeezing it. “You try and pay for everything. I’ll pay today.”  
Ash sneakily maneuvered their hands so he was holding Eiji’s hand now, fingers intertwined. “Fine but then I’ll pay the tip.”  
“I’m going to use a card,” Eiji huffed. “So unless you have cash-“  
“I have cash,” Ash interrupted, a triumphant smile on his face.  
“Ugh, fine,” Eiji finally said. “But you can’t always be the one buying everything.”  
“Sure, okay,” Ash grinned.  
When they were finished ordering, Ash handed the laptop to Eiji for him to put his card in.  
“Wanna watch Netflix?” Ash asked as Eiji handed the laptop back.  
“Sure, you pick something,” Eiji sat, leaning back against the headboard of the bed.  
Ash finally settled on something, Bob’s Burgers so they didn’t have to pay attention if they didn’t want to. They watched in comfortable silence, Eiji eventually leaning against Ash who in turn put his arm around Eiji’s shoulders.  
Eiji felt again how warm Ash was, maybe it was a were thing. It was so comfortable that Eiji actually started to drift off slightly when there was suddenly a loud buzzing from somewhere in the apartment.  
“That’s the food,” Ash said softly.  
Ash extracted himself from Eiji, who grabbed the laptop and placed it in his lap.  
Ash was only gone a few minutes, closing the door with his foot since his hands were full.  
“Did you give Shorter his pizza?” Eiji asked as he looked up at Ash.  
“Yeah,” Ash nodded. They thought they’d be nice and pay for dinner for Shorter who was working on school work in the living room.  
They spread the food out on the bed, Ash complaining about how there was going to be crumbs.  
“You’re the one that wanted to eat in here,” Eiji pointed out, grabbing a piece of pizza and taking a bite. “Don’t complain.”  
Ash simply just rolled his eyes.  
They talked about simple things while they ate, Eiji laughing every time Ash talked with his mouth full of food.  
“So,” Ash said after swallowing a bite of his breadstick. “I want to warn you about when I talked about going into rut.”  
Eiji set his bottle of soda down on his lap, looking at Ash. He found there conversation rarely revolved around the fact that Ash was a were, only being brought up when necessary. Ash seemed almost hesitant to talk about. “What do you mean?”  
“Well, I’m going to go into rut soon,” Ash explained, Eiji swearing he saw a faint blush but Ash’s expression made him think otherwise, it was so stern. “I’ll be…not available for maybe a week.  
Maybe shorter but I won’t know. I haven’t had one in so long that it will probably be long. I don’t know exactly when it will happen, the suppressants need to still leave my system.”  
“Okay,” Eiji nodded. “That’s okay. You’ll at least tell me when it happens, right?”  
“Well, yeah,” Ash said slowly, looking away. Now Eiji was sure he was blushing.  
He had no clue why Ash was getting so nervous. Yeah, it was a little awkward to talk about but really it just needed to get said.  
Oh, was he acting weird because he wanted help through it? He couldn’t seriously be trying to ask him that, was he? He wasn’t a were so he didn’t think he’d be able to help at all. Not to mention they had only just gotten to know each other.  
“Are you trying to ask if I’ll help you?” Eiji asked carefully.  
Ash whipped his head around, an intense look in his eyes. “ _No_.”  
Eiji felt shivers go through him. Even though he wasn’t a were, he still felt how dominating that was.  
“Oh, no, I’m sorry!” Eiji said quickly, hands up. “I didn’t mean anything by it. I just thought that was what you were tying to say. I’m sorry!”  
Ash blinked before shaking his head. “No, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for it to come out like that. I’m definitely not trying to pressure you into helping me. That’s the last thing I’d want. No, what I’m trying to say is that I’m going to be… a lot more possessive of you.”  
“Um,” Eiji said softly. “That’s okay? I guess I don’t really get it but if that’s what you need to do, that’s okay.”  
“It’s instinct,” Ash said quickly. “The suppressants are still kind of in my system so I don’t act like a crazy alpha but once they’re out, I’ll be possessive over what my… stupid animal brain says is mine. And I already… uh…”  
Eiji chuckled, this was like a really roundabout way of telling him that Ash liked him a lot.  
“Don’t laugh,” Ash groaned.  
“I’m not laughing,” Eiji quickly stopped himself. “It’s really okay if that’s what happens. I won’t mind.”  
Ash gave Eiji an uneasy look but nodded. “Fine, but just tell me if I’m being unbearable. Once my system starts to get used to not being on suppressants constantly, it’ll sort of calm down.”  
Eiji nodded, moving again so he was leaning against Ash, letting the other put his arm around him again to watch tv.  
“So can I ask you something that I’ve been wondering?” Eiji asked, taking a bite of his pizza after.  
“Like what?” Ash hummed.  
Eiji felt Ash rub his shoulder gently, ending up pulling him slightly closer to him in the process.  
“I grew up in house full of regular humans,” Eiji shrugged. “I don’t know many weres, just indulge me.”  
Ash snorted, looking down at Eiji. “Okay, so what?”  
“Were you born one?” Eiji asked softly. “Or were you turned?”  
Everyone had dormant genes in them that could be brought out from a bite of a were. Eiji always wondered what types of genes he would have but you won’t know until after you’ve been bitten.  
“I was born one,” Ash hummed. “I don’t know where along the line someone was bitten. But yeah, I was born one.”  
Eiji smiled, nodding. “Do you have siblings then?”  
“Yes,” Ash said. “I have an older brother.”  
“I’m an only child,” Eiji said quickly. “What does it feel like to change form? Does it hurt? I feel like it would hurt.”  
Ash made a face, clearly thinking. “Well it doesn’t hurt like there’s pronounced pain. Though it doesn’t feel good. If I had to pick one, I’d say it _sort of_ hurt but not like terribly.”  
“What do you mean?” Eiji frowned.  
“Your bones break and change, as well as your skin,” Ash said, wincing slightly. “It doesn’t exactly hurt going form animal to human form but going form human to animal always seems to hurt more to me.”  
Eiji made a scared face, prompting Ash to squeeze his shoulders some.  
“I’m sorry,” Eiji said softly.  
“It’s not like it’s your fault,” Ash laughed.  
“But still, I don’t like that it hurts,” Eiji mumbled.  
“It’s fine,” Ash rubbed Eiji’s arm. “Really.”  
They finished their pizza in comfortable silence, watching the show that was on.  
After they were done eating, Ash cleaned everything up and put it in the fridge. He moved his laptop to the dresser, letting the show still play but yanked Eiji down to lay with him in the bed. They could see it was still dark and rainy outside, making both of them want to stay in bed.  
“Is this okay?” Ash asked, face extremely close to Eiji’s now.  
They were laying on their sides, facing each other with Ash’s arm on Eiji’s waist, rubbing circles in with his thumb.  
“Um, yeah,” Eiji nodded, resting his forehead on Ash’s. He supposed he would make the most of it, liking that he was this close to Ash.  
“Are you sure? I can move away,” Ash said softly, though he seemed to curl his arm tighter around Eiji, contradicting his words.  
“I like it,” Eiji hummed. “You’re warm.”  
Ash huffed, trying to look away from Eiji but he was too close for him to do that. “It’s not like we’re going to _do_ anything.”  
Eiji laughed, loudly, not expecting that. “No, I know but this is nice. Thanks for making sure I was okay with it.”  
“I wouldn’t want to make you uncomfortable,” Ash said softly.  
They ended up falling asleep, tired from the food.  
Eiji ended up waking up because he felt something stabbing at his back. He rolled over angrily, grabbing it from under him and realized it was his phone. He hadn’t realized that he had dropped it in the bed.  
Despite the fact that Eiji had rather violently rolled over in bed, Ash was still sound asleep. He observed him for a moment, seeing how beautiful the other was. His fair skin, along with his long eye lashes. His expression was just so open and soft that Eiji couldn’t help but smile.  
It was still dark and stormy out, his phone showing that it was 11 at night. He didn’t know if he wanted to get up and leave or stay. Everything was telling him to stay with Ash but he felt like he was overstaying his welcome.  
He sighed, deciding to stay as he leaned over Ash to place his phone on the nightstand.  
Ash must have felt him move against him because arms were suddenly around his was it and pulling him back down against him.  
Eiji made a noise as he was sort of manhandled into a position, Ash’s chest now pressed against his back.  
“You weren’t thinking of leaving?” Ash asked quietly, his voice scratchy with sleep.  
“N-no,” Eiji shook his head. “I was just getting my phone off the bed.”  
“Good,” Ash yawned against Eiji’s neck, making Eiji jump slightly. “Are you actually comfortable in your jeans? Or do you need sweats?”  
Eiji did feel uncomfortable in them, the scratchiness getting to him. “Not really. Do you mind?”  
“I wouldn’t mind if I’m asking,” Ash said tiredly. He moved away from Eiji, Eiji able to feel the bed dip when he got out. He rolled over to see Ash in his dresser, grabbing a pair of sweats to throw at Eiji.  
Eiji noticed that Ash must have shed his jeans at one point, only in his boxers.  
“Put them on so we can go back to bed,” Ash yawned, getting back in bed and pulling the covers back on himself.  
Eiji wiggled himself out of his jeans, throwing them on the floor only to awkwardly get into the sweats that Ash gave him. He noticed Ash was watching with an amused look on his face.  
“I’m leaving my shirt on,” Eiji grumbled, laying back down, facing away so Ash could spoon him again.  
“That’s fine,” Ash said as he moved to hold Eiji again. “I wasn’t asking for you to be naked. Just to wear my clothes.”  
Eiji felt like his face was about to explode, it heated up so fast, as he elbowed Ash. “You can’t just say things like that.”  
Ash chuckled. “Let’s go back to sleep. Come on.”  
“Night,” Eiji said, feeling extremely comfortable in Ash’s arms.  
“Goodnight,” Ash said softly.  
Eiji could have sworn he felt the faint press of lips against the back of his neck before he drifted off to sleep.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This took me forever to write and it isn't even that long, I'm sorry! :'(  
> So much happened all at once in my life so it will definitely take longer in between updates.  
> Hope you guys enjoy!!

Eiji woke up when he heard his alarm go off, having forgot to turn it off since it was the weekend. He rolled over to grab his phone but rolled into something warm.  
Eiji startled slightly before realizing that he was in Ash’s bed and not at his home. The body he rolled into was Ash’s, who was snoring ever so slightly, his mouth sort of hanging open.  
He sat up slowly, yawning and rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He crawled out of the bed and went to the bathroom. On his way back he saw that Shorter was sitting in the living room, coffee in hand, grinning at him.  
Eiji immediately started blushed, feeling like he needed to make an excuse for why he was still there.  
“Did you two have fun last night?” Shorter snickered, taking a sip of his coffee.  
“It wasn’t like that!” Eiji yelled, completely embarrassed. He then remembered Ash was still sleeping and worried about waking him, looking into the room only to see he was still sound asleep.  
“I know,” Shorter laughed. “And don’t worry about him. I feel like he could sleep through anything.”  
Eiji shuffled around in front of the door to Ash’s bedroom, unsure if he should go back or not. He wasn’t really tired anymore so he didn’t really feel like getting back into bed.  
“Do you want some coffee?” Shorter asked, setting his down on the coffee table. “It was just made not that long ago.”  
“Sure,” Eiji nodded, watching Shorter get up and walk him into the kitchen. He noticed off the kitchen was another bedroom, the door slightly closed. From what Eiji could see, it was kind of messy.  
Shorter got a mug out of a cabinet and handed it to Eiji, Eiji going over and pouring himself some coffee. He also got out cream and sugar for Eiji.  
They walked back into the living room, Eiji sitting on the other end of the couch. He noticed the tv was on but at a very low volume.  
“So, Eiji,” Shorter hummed, sitting back with his coffee in hand again. “You’ve been taking up a lot of Ash’s time lately.”  
“Uhh,” Eiji had no clue how to respond to that. Was he jealous? “Is… is that a bad thing?”  
Shorter grinned. “No! Definitely not. I’m glad he’s found someone like you. From what he tells me, he likes you. A lot.”  
Eiji blushed lightly, still not used to hearing that. “Um, yeah. I, uh, really like him too.”  
“He mentioned something about soulmates,” Shorter said, leaning slightly closer to Eiji. “Do you really believe that?” He could tell Shorter really cared about his friend, most likely trying to feel out how Eiji actually felt about Ash.  
Eiji looked down at his coffee in hand, thinking about how the two just seemed to fit so well together. It was just so easy with Ash. “Yeah, I do. He’s just… I don’t. It’s just so easy with him. He already means so much to me, even if I don’t know a whole lot about him. But that’s okay because there’s going to be time to do that in the future.”  
Shorter smiled softly then, clearly liking Eiji’s answer. “Good, that’s good. I can tell you that he feels the same way.”  
Eiji took a sip of his coffee, trying to hide his smile.  
They sat together, watching tv for a few minutes.  
“Can I ask you a question?” Eiji asked after a bit. He had been wondering if Shorter was a were but didn’t want to put the other on the spot. He also knew that sometimes weres didn’t want to tell others whether they were or not. “You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to.”  
“Okay, shoot,” Shorter said, taking another sip of his coffee.  
“Are you a were too?” Eiji asked quickly. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have asked.”  
Shorter just laughed. “I don’t mind actually. I don’t know why some do. The answer to that is, yes I am.”  
“Are you a lion, like Ash?” Eiji asked, curious now. “Or something different?”  
Shorter seemed to be beyond pleased with this line of questioning. He looked almost giddy. “No, I’m a maine coon! Basically a large house cat. It’s pretty cool.”  
Eiji laughed. “Does your purple hair show in your coat then? And what about the fact that part of your head is shaved?”  
Shorter ran a hand through his hair, which was down at the moment, making a face. “Unfortunately yes, it looks so weird. I rarely shift just because Ash likes to make fun of me for that.”  
“That’s because a purple, half shaved cat is hilarious,” they heard, looking up and seeing Ash walk out his bedroom. He had on the t-shirt he was wearing from before but he had put sweats on at some point too.  
“Well, you don’t have to be _mean_ about it,” Shorter huffed.  
“I’m not mean, it’s just a friendly jab at how ridiculously funny you look in your cat form,” Ash snickered, walking into the kitchen.  
“You are just rude,” Shorter rolled his eyes.  
“Sorry you had to deal with him this morning Eiji,” Ash said from the kitchen. “I know he can be annoying.”  
“Hey!”  
“Oh, no,” Eiji shook his head, though realized that Ash couldn’t see him. “He’s not annoying.”  
“Hah!” Shorter said loudly.  
Ash came back into the living room, holding a mug now. “No, he can be annoying.”  
Shorter just rolled his eyes.  
“Move your big ass over Shorter,” Ash said, kicking at his roommate a little when he walked over to the couch.  
Shorter laughed, moving over some to make more room for Ash to sit in between them, though he basically just pressed against Eiji.  
They sat in comfortable silence before Shorter announced he was going to shower, bringing his coffee into the bathroom with him.  
Ash sprawled out on the couch then, groaning. He rested his head in Eiji’s lap, facing toward the tv. “Shorter didn’t ask you weird things, did he?”  
“No,” Eiji smiled, reaching out and running his fingers through Ash’s messy hair. It was so soft. “He’s nice, I like him.”  
“Eh, he’s okay,” Ash laughed.  
“Have you guys known each other long?” Eiji asks. He continued to run his fingers through Ash’s hair, who he swears is purring under the attention.  
“Mmm, yeah,” Ash says. “I’ve known him since we were little. He’s just kind of always been there.”  
Now Eiji was positive Ash was purring, able to feel the vibration in his legs from it and hear it clearly. He had no clue that weres could do that and he just found it so endearing.  
He didn’t even stop when Shorter came out of the bathroom, just a towel around his waist and clothes in hand, smirking at the two of them on the couch. He didn’t say anything though, going straight into his bedroom.  
“See, he’s annoying,” Ash said, pointing in the direction of Shorter’s room. “Smirking bastard.”  
Eiji just laughed.  
Ash rolled onto his back to look up at Eiji, smiling up at him. “Do you have anything to do today?”  
Eiji shook his head. “No, I don’t think so.”  
“Good because you’re staying here then,” Ash told him.  
That just made Eiji grin, able to tell what Ash was talking about when he said he would be a little possessive.  
The two of them just sat together, Eiji still running his fingers through Ash’s hair who had closed his eyes and picked up purring again only louder this time. Eiji wouldn’t mind being able to wake up to this everyday, enjoying being able to just be around Ash in such an effortless way.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I forgot I actually had time to edit because I had a long weekend. It was so lovely having 4 days off from work, I desperately needed it lol I was actually able to catch up with a few things so yay me!  
> Hope you guys enjoy the chapter :D

Eiji found it easy to be around Ash, the two of them just falling into a routine so quickly it was scary. Shorter would joke that the two of them were on the same wavelength and that’s how they were able to just know what the other needed. It wasn’t like they didn’t have secrets though. Eiji didn’t understand why Ash would clam up when talking about himself sometimes, mostly just giving vague answers.

He told himself it was okay though, that they didn’t have to tell each other everything right away. They could wait until they were ready, until Ash felt more comfortable. They were soulmates after all.

Eiji became very adamant that Ash show him shift again, wanting to see him like that one more time. He knew he didn’t need to see it necessarily but he was just fascinated by the fact that he could do that and wanted to see it. It was just so cool to him.

At first, Ash didn’t want to, telling him flat out no, Eiji just accepting that he may not get to see it again. Eventually though Ash told Eiji he would show him. 

So he took Eiji out to the forest preserve where they had originally met.

“Why do you want to see this that bad?” Ash asked, squeezing Eiji’s hand in his.

Eiji had noticed that today Ash seemed to need to have some form of contact with him, whether it was holding his hand, their shoulders brushing earlier, or even on the car ride over he was playing with the hair on the back of his neck.

“Because you can turn into something else!” Eiji said excitedly. “How does that not fascinate you at all? It’s so _cool_!”

Ash just laughed, shaking his head.

They walked a long ways, finally getting to a slightly less forested area.

Ash sighed, letting Eiji’s hand go and slumping a little. “Okay, I gotta undress.”

Eiji immediately went bright red. “R-right. I’ll just, uh, turn around.”

Ash laughed as Eiji covered his face with hands and turned to face away from him. It didn’t seem to take long, Ash shoving his clothes at him. Eiji quickly grabbed them, holding them close.

Eiji felt a pressure against his neck and realized that there were hands now on his hips. “Um, Ash?”

“Hey, Eiji, can I kiss you?” Ash asked softly, Eiji able to feel his breath on his neck.

Eiji’s eyes went wide, gripping the clothes in his hands tightly. “O-oh, well, um, yeah?”

Ash laughed, kissing the base of Eiji’s neck briefly. “Not now. I just mean eventually.”

“Oh.”

Ash moved away from Eiji then. Eiji could hear movement behind him, then silence.

Eiji frowned before turning around and saw Ash, in his lion form, just sitting there and staring at Eiji. He placed the clothes in his hands on the ground and walked up to Ash slowly. 

He just continued to stare at Eiji, green eyes watching his every move. He felt like he was so much larger then what he could remember. His mane was just as light and fluffy as he remembered though. Eiji hadn’t realized that his whole coat just in general was a fairly light color, not the normal tan like color lions seemed to have. 

When Eiji was close enough, he reached out and placed a hand on the lions mane, feeling the slightly course hair there. He had thought it’d be soft like Ash’s hair was.

Ash didn’t seem to want that, turning to press his face into Eiji’s palm.

Eiji laughed, starting to pet the lion.

Ash seemed to approve of that, standing up and shoving his face closer to Eiji. He ended up pressing his cold nose to Eiji’s cheek, making Eiji giggle. That seemed to spur Ash on, pressing his nose against Eiji’s face and neck.

Ash made a noise that Eiji could only describe as a happy noise before licking Eiji’s check, getting his hair wet too. The texture was rough like sandpaper, feeling weird on his skin.

“Ash!” Eiji laughed. “My face is soaked now, stop!”

Eiji pushed against Ash’s neck but he clearly wasn’t strong enough, Ash still moving to lick at Eiji.

Eiji moved back a little, tripping over something and landing on his back. Ash moved to sniff him, making sure he was okay, before moving next to him and flopping onto his back, legs up and staring at Eiji.

“What?” Eiji asked, sitting up and trying to brush off the grass. “Do you… do you want a belly rub?”

Ash made a noise, his eyes playful.

Eiji laughed, moving closer to the lion and pressing his fingers into the part of his mane that ran down his chest. He started scratching at his chest, gently at first but Ash didn’t seem to like that, making a grumbling noise so he started to really scratch at him. Ash started to purr then, much louder then when he was human.

Eiji’s hands eventually got tired so he stopped, looking down at the lions face. Ash looked like he was asleep, but the second he stopped his eyes shot open and he seemed to be glaring at Eiji.

“My hands are tired,” Eiji huffed.

Ash didn’t seem to care, still glaring at Eiji and making a noise that sounded like sigh.

“I’m not gonna start again,” Eiji told him. 

Ash seemed to finally get that Eiji wasn’t going to, rolling over to lay on his stomach. 

“Do you wanna run?” Eiji asked, petting Ash’s mane gently. “I know you told me you like that.” 

Ash made a rumbling noise and shook his head, leaning against Eiji some. He licked Eiji’s hand, Eiji making a face at the wetness.

“Thank you for letting me see you like this again,” Eiji said then, wrapping his arms around the lions neck and burying his face in the lions mane.

Eiji felt movement and heard what sounded liking cracking before he realized that he was now pressing his face against skin. He moved away to see Ash in his human form staring back at him, smiling gently.

“Sorry, I didn’t know how to warn you I was gonna turn back,” Ash said.

“It’s okay,” Eiji shrugged.

Ash didn’t seem to care that he was naked still, wrapping his arms around Eiji too and squeezing. 

“You asked for a belly rub,” Eiji giggled, trying to move back to look at Ash.

Ash just squeezed him tighter, pressing his face against Eiji’s neck and breathed in. “Shut up, it feels nice.”

“Yup, I bet it does,” Eiji still giggled. “Do you like them in your human form?”

“I think you’re just being mean now,” Ash huffed.

Eiji just laughed, rubbing Ash’s naked back feeling how warm he was. “Are you gonna put your clothes back on?”

Ash made an aggravated noise. “I don’t really want to.”

Eiji rolled his eyes, trying to move out of Ash’s grip. “Well, I think you should.”

Ash groaned. “No, I like this better.”

Ash moved them so he was now in Eiji’s lap, legs on either sides of his hips.

Eiji could feel himself turning red, making an effort to not look down.

Ash wrapped his arms around Eiji’s neck, leaning down to continue breathing in at his neck.

“D-do I smell like something?” Eiji asked, curious.

“Not really,” Ash shrugged. “You smell human but you also smell like Eiji.”

Eiji laughed at that. “What does that smell like?”

Ash just shook his head, his lips briefly brushing against Eiji’s neck.

“Come on, lets get you dressed,” Eiji said, patting Ash’s back.

“Fine,” Ash huffed, getting off Eiji. 

Eiji watched Ash walk over to get his clothes, watching the other get dressed. 

Ash turned to look at Eiji, buttoning his jeans. “Were you staring at my ass?”

“No!” Eiji said way too fast. He definitely was and he definitely thought that he had a nice ass.

“Hmm, don’t lie, Eiji,” Ash laughed, pulling on his sweatshirt. “Ugh, I shouldn’t have worn this. It’s way to hot out.”

“It’s not that hot out Ash,” Eiji pointed out.

Ash opened his mouth, then closed it quickly. “Right. Let’s go.”

Eiji got up, brushing the grass off him and followed Ash.

Ash grabbed Eiji’s hand once he was close enough, pulling him so he was close.

“Your lion form is really cool,” Eiji told him, looking over and seeing Ash blush slightly.

“W-well, I’m glad you liked it,” Ash said.

They went to Ash’s apartment, Ash pulling Eiji into his room immediately and into his unmade bed. Eiji yelled at the other to take his shoes off before getting in the bed, Ash making a face at him but did as he was told.

Ash pulled Eiji into his arms, wrapping himself around the other as well as pulling the covers over the two of them. He was acting so needy, almost like a child that needed constant affection. 

“Is Shorter here?” Eiji asked, trying to turn in Ash’s arms since his back was facing him.

“I don’t think so,” Ash said, eventually letting his grip go enough to let Eiji turn around to look at him.

“Are you okay?” Eiji asked tentatively. 

“I mean, yeah but…” Ash trailed off, biting his lip. “I think my rut is gonna start soon.”

Eiji nodded, looking at Ash’s slightly annoyed face. “Okay. Do… do you know when?”

Ash shrugged, hand moving to Eiji’s waist and under his shirt. He just kept his hand there, thumb moving soothingly every so often. “Pretty soon? I don’t know exactly when but probably within the week.”

“Alright, well is there anything I can do to help you?” Eiji asked, unsure of what he could even do.

Ash’s face went completely red. “ _No_.”

“O-oh, sorry,” Eiji stuttered, not expecting that.

Ash tucked his face under the covers, pressing it against Eiji’s chest. Eiji laughed, thinking again about a child and ran his fingers through that soft hair once more. He felt Ash mumble something against him but couldn’t hear it.

“What?”

Ash moved away, staring up at Eiji in annoyance. “Can I have your shirt? That…might help.”

“Okay… but why?” Eiji asked. “And like, right now? Or…?”

Ash’s face was so red, Eiji thinking it was hilarious how embarrassed the other was but tried not to laugh.

“I just… it smells like you and I _like_ the way you smell so…” Ash was clearly uncomfortable, trailing off. “Just, please?”

“Yes,” Eiji chuckled. “You can have my shirt. Do you want anything else?”

Ash had looked away from Eiji but at that he quickly looked back at Eiji, excitement in his eyes. “All of your clothes that you’ve worn.”

“Okay, _no_ ,” Eiji said firmly. “You’ll have to tell me what they’re for if you really want that much.”  
Ash slumped a little, moving back to shove his face in Eiji’s chest again. “Do I have too?”

“You know I’ll give you whatever you want if you just tell me,” Eiji laughed. He moved down under the covers to be face to face with Ash who was still bright red.

“I want them for… um,” Ash bit his lip, moving back slightly. “Well, I’m gonna probably make a, uh, a nest and it’ll help if… if I had something from the person I wanted to be with.” Ash made a face as he said this but didn’t move any farther away.

“Was that really that hard to say?” Eiji smiled. He moved the covers down so it wasn’t as hot.

Ash was still making a face, clearly annoyed. “Yes, it’s embarrassing.”

Eiji laughed, shaking his head. “Aw, come on. Now I’ll give you more clothes. Happy?”

Ash huffed but nodded. He sat up, looking down at Eiji. “Can I kiss you?”

This time Eiji went bright red, Ash clearly happy he was able to fluster him. 

Eiji sat up quickly then. “You really don’t have to ask.”

“Just wanted to make sure it was still okay,” Ash grinned.

Eiji huffed, looking away at the wall in frustration before looking back and realizing that Ash was suddenly very close, not ready for that. He squeaked, knowing Ash would probably make fun of him later for that. He didn’t move though, letting Ash lean in close.

He was so close that he noticed there were a couple of faint freckles flecked across his cheeks and his eyelashes were so blonde and long. 

Eiji swallowed, shutting his eyes unable to take in just how beautiful Ash was this close. 

Then he felt the light press of lips against his own before it disappeared. He opened his eyes, confused before he was pushed onto the bed, Ash now in between his legs and laughing playfully.

“Really?” Eiji stared blankly at the other, hands going up to grip Ash’s waist. “What are you, a child?”

Ash just laughed, leaned down and kissed him once more. He felt the gentle press of Ash’s fingers against his face before he felt them tangle in his short hair and pull him the slightest bit closer. His lips were soft, moving against Eiji’s so gently. 

It was slow and sweet and over way too fast for Eiji’s liking, Ash pulling away to look down at Eiji.  
Eiji opened his mouth say something when they heard what sounded like the front door slamming into the wall.

“Ash!” They heard Shorter yell, the door banging shut now. “Ash, I know you’re here! Stop smooching Eiji and get out here!”

Ash groaned, getting off the bed and stomping out of the room. “ _WHAT_?!”

“Well don’t you smell lovely,” Shorter snickered.

“Is that seriously what you so rudely interrupted me for? To tell me _that_?” Ash said, it coming out almost like a growl.

“Um, no actually,” Shorter laughed nervously. “I saw that, uh, _he’s_ back in town.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> cliff hanger? ugh I hate those  
> please don't hate meeee  
> we'll finally get into Ash's past now though yayyyy


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've finally finished this chapter, yay!  
> Work has kicked my butt so hard, I just wanna lay in a puddle of my own tears :'(  
> Also, my kitten got spayed last week and all her blood work came back normal so I'm happy! No more sick kitten either :) The vet thinks she was possibly in pain because she's teething? I don't know but she's doing beautifully and that's all I care about lol  
> I did edit something, Eiji doesn't know Ash's real name for reasons  
> Hope you enjoy!!

Eiji sat up, the other room quiet now. He got out of the bed, quickly walking into the other room to see the two. Shorter looked worried, staring at the ground now. Eiji couldn’t see Ash’s face but he could tell he tense.

“Um, should I go?” Eiji asked, unsure if the two would want him to stay at that point.

Ash whipped around, looking at him with wide eyes before he quickly made his expression as neutral as possible. “No, you can... you can stay. Just... I need to talk to Shorter about something.”

Eiji nodded. “I’ll just wait in your room I guess?”

Ash nodded, his expression blank but there was something in his eyes that made Eiji think he was upset.

Eiji went back into Ash’s room, closing the door behind him to try and give the two more privacy. He wanted to know what was going on but didn’t want to intrude. 

—

Once they heard the door close, Ash turned around to look at Shorter again. 

“Are you sure it was Dino?” Ash asked, running his hand through his hair.

Shorter gave him a look. “I wouldn’t just be saying that as a joke. Come on.”

Ash sighed. If he was back in town that meant he’d look Ash up and possibly find out about Eiji. He didn’t want him to even so much as look at Eiji. The thought of him even coming near Eiji made him sick. 

“I don’t understand why he still pesters you so much,” Shorter said, scratching his head. “I feel like he’s obsessed with you.”

Ash laughed grimly, going to sit on the couch and hung his head in his hands. “Yeah, well... he thinks he owns me or something.”

Shorter gave him a look before going to sit next to Ash. He placed his hand in his shoulder and squeezed. “Ash, if you need anything, I’m here for you.”

Ash just sighed, looking over at Shorter. “Thanks. I know that you don’t know him well but could you just watch over Eiji? When I can’t? Since I’m going to have my rut soon.”

Shorter smiled, nodding quickly. “Of course, you know I’ll do anything for him. He’s gonna be your husband one day anyways and a part of your pack I think too? Am I right?”

Ash lightly punched Shorter’s arm. “Don’t say things like that! He could hear you.”

“You haven’t told him you want to be with him?” Shorter questioned, looking at Ash skeptically.  
“And you didn’t answer my question. Is he gonna be apart of our pack?”

“Well, it’s not like I can just be like, ‘hey Eiji, I want to turn you one day if you’re okay with that, oh and be with me forever.’” Ash huffed. “We’ve barely known each other for two months. I’m not asking him that. I don’t know if he’s gonna be apart of our pack and I don’t even know if he’ll even want to be turned. Stop asking.”

Shorter grinned, gripping Ash’s shoulders to turn him to look at him in the eye. “You’re blind if you can’t see the way that boy looks at you. He already knows that this is forever.”

Ash went completely red, forgetting about his worries for one second to think about spending the rest of his life with Eiji. It made his stomach flip and he felt like his heart was in his throat.

“Aw, you’re blushing,” Shorter chuckled.

Ash glared at the other but felt it was lost by how red his face was. 

“So, what are we going to do about Dino?” Shorter asked, leaning back on the couch.

“I don’t know but I’m not even going to acknowledge him right now,” Ash told him. “I don’t want to risk putting Eiji in danger. And I need to deal with this stupid rut first.”

Ash had a feeling it didn’t matter what he did, Dino would just stick his nose in his business regardless though he was hoping that maybe if he pretended everything was okay it would be. He didn’t want his past to sour his relationship with Eiji, especially since everything was still so new. The fact that he was going to have his rut soon didn’t help at all.

—

Eiji was now sitting on Ash’s bed, face buried in his hands and completely red. He had heard a good chunk of what was said in the other room since the walls were thin. He didn’t think that he had ever heard Ash so bluntly state that he wanted to be with him. The fact that Shorter even mentioned marriage just short circuited his brain, even if he was sort of joking around. He felt like he was a puddle of happy goo.

He tried not to dwell on this Dino person they were talking about. Whoever he was didn’t sound like someone he wanted to meet, especially if Ash was worried about his safety. He wondered if this Dino was a were like Ash too?

Ash eventually came back into the room after a bit, looking exhausted. He immediately went straight to Eiji, shoving him back on the bed and buried his face in Eiji’s chest.

“H-hey,” Eiji laughed, tangling his fingers in Ash’s hair. He scratched lightly on Ash’s head, feeling the other shiver against him as he did so. “You okay?”

“No,” Ash said, though muffled. 

“Want to talk about it?” Eiji asked.

He just got silence as a reply, though he didn’t expect much. 

Eiji felt Ash’s breathing slow until he was fast asleep in his arms, Eiji still carding his fingers through his hair. He wanted to talk about whatever was going on but knew he shouldn’t intrude. He was just interested and the fact that Ash wasn’t talking about it only made him want to know more.

Ash rolled off Eiji eventually, curling up against his side still asleep. 

Eiji got up then, though not before leaning down and giving the other a quick kiss on the cheek. He wandered out into the living room to see Shorter coming out of the kitchen area. 

“Oh, hey Eiji,” Shorter said. “Where’s Ash?”

“Sleeping,” Eiji shrugged. “What’s going on?”

Shorter made a face as he walked over and plopped onto the couch. “I mean, it’s not really my place to say.”

Eiji sighed but nodded, moving to sit next to Shorter.

“I could hear you guys,” Eiji said slowly. “The walls here are pretty thin.”

Shorter blinked before starting to laugh. “Aw, does that mean you know how head over heels Ash is with you?”

“W-well, I wasn’t really talking about that b-but I did hear something about that,” Eiji stuttered.

“Don’t worry, he is,” Shorter teased, poking Eiji in the side. 

Eiji slapped at Shorter’s hand who just laughed at him more.

“What were you saying about packs though?” Eiji asked, curious. He hadn’t understood what he meant that Ash would want him to be part of his pack.

“A pack!” Shorter said excitedly. “You know, like a pack of wolves or whatever. Ash is an alpha so that means that he would be like the leader of the pack and others would see him as someone to gather around. Though, Ash is a lion and lions have prides. Maybe I should call it that… Ash would hate it.” Shorter snickered, seeming to start talking to himself at the end.

“Is that what you are then?” Eiji asked, trying to get Shorter to focus again. “Someone that sees him as a leader?”

“Well yeah,” Shorter snorted. “I wouldn’t live with the guy if I didn’t.”

“Are you an alpha too then or…?” Eiji frowned.

“Nah, I’m a beta,” Shorter said. “It’s like right below an alpha. It’s like… like I’m second in command I guess? It’s hard to explain really.”

“Huh,” Eiji said, sitting back on the couch.

“Would you let Ash turn you?” Shorter asked then, leaning into Eiji’s space a little.

Ash had asked him that question before and he still wasn’t sure what his answer would be. On one hand he thought it’d be cool but on the other he didn’t see anything wrong with just staying human.

“I-I don’t know,” Eiji shook his head. 

“Fair enough,” Shorter nodded.

They were silent for a moment before Eiji spoke again. 

“Who’s Dino, Shorter?” Eiji asked.

Shorter stiffened, looking away from Eiji. “I really just know that he’s a bad man who does bad things. That’s about it.”

Eiji got the feeling that he knew more but wouldn’t tell him. 

“Okay,” Eiji sighed, knowing he wouldn’t get much more out of him.

They heard movement from the other room then before they saw Ash come out of his room, his hair on messy. 

“What are you two talking about now?” Ash sighed. 

“About how much you _love_ Eiji,” Shorter snickered.

Eiji sputtered, hands flailing to try and get Shorter to be quiet while Ash glared at Shorter.

Shorter quickly moved away from Eiji’s flailing hands and walked very carefully around Ash.  
“God, you already smell so bad Ash,” Shorter made a gagging noise as he walked away. “You’ll definitely go into rut soon.”

Ash just ignored his roommate, flipping him off as he walked away. 

“What does he mean?” Eiji asked, frowning. “You don’t smell to me.”

“It’s the pheromones,” Ash sighed. “Your scent or whatever becomes… enticing, trying to ‘call’ out to mate with someone.”

“But I can’t smell it?” Eiji asked, still frowning.

Ash laughed. “No. Well, I mean you can smell it but I think it’s smells more like sweat to humans. It won’t attract you or anything.”

“Oh,” Eiji nodded. That was definitely a lie, he was already very attracted to him.

“Sorry I fell asleep,” Ash said as he sat next to Eiji, leaning into him and wrapping his arms around the boy. “Shifting makes me tired sometimes.”

“It’s okay,” Eiji told him. “I know you like your sleep.”

Ash rolled his eyes before nuzzling at Eiji’s jaw and placing a soft kiss there.

Eiji laughed before turning and capturing Ash’s lips in a kiss, startling the were. Eiji felt Ash chuckle before pressing more firmly against Eiji.

It was slow, their lips just moving against each other slowly until Ash licked at Eiji’s lips.  
Eiji gladly let him in, tongue pressing against his. He let out a small sound that seemed to encourage Ash, who leaned into him more making Eiji fall back onto the couch.

Ash moved away away then, sitting back. “Sorry! My hormones are…” He trailed off, looking upset with himself.

Eiji just shook his head, moving to sit up. “It’s okay, really. I, uh, I liked it.”

Ash moved closer to Eiji once again, wrapping his arms around him. “So about the whole shirt thing. Are you gonna give it to me soon or…?”

Eiji snorted, looking over at Ash who looked completely serious. “Really? You want my shirt right now?”

“I mean… yeah, if you’ll give it too me now,” Ash told him, a slight pout on his face. “Also I do want more of your clothes. Please.” 

Eiji just laughed at how ridiculous Ash was being. He found it adorable that he was being so honest about wanting his things for his nest though.

“Okay, later I’ll bring over some more of my things,” Eiji promised him.

Ash smiled, kissing Eiji’s cheek.

“Are you gonna give me a shirt of yours to wear then?” Eiji asked him. “Because I’m not going home shirtless.”

Ash seemed to love this idea, his eyes widening in excitement. He quickly got up, grabbing Eiji’s wrist and dragging him back into his room. 

His bed seemed to look even more unruly then before. The covers all rumpled and pushed to the sides. There was some clothes it seemed in the middle, looking like they had been laid on. Had Ash been doing this while he was supposed to have been sleeping earlier?

Ash was in his closet pulling out clothes and throwing them onto his bed now. “Pick from any of these or even all of them. I don’t care.”

Eiji laughed, going over to look at the shirts. He held a t-shirt up, knowing it’d probably be a little too big on him. It didn’t really matter what he wore, he knew Ash would love to see him in his clothes too if the expression on his face was anything to go by.

After Eiji took his own t-shirt off and handed it too Ash, who immediately placed it in his bed, he pulled on one of Ash’s t-shirts.

“Happy?” Eiji asked, crossing his arms.

Ash nodded. “Yes, extremely.”

Eiji just laughed, going and giving Ash a hug.

“I should probably be going,” Eiji said reluctantly. “I do have some work to do today but I’ll see you soon? I can probably bring over the clothes you want tomorrow.”

Ash nodded, squeezing Eiji tight. 

They walked to the front door together, Ash giving Eiji a quick kiss before Eiji left.

When Eiji got home, he realized how quiet it was at his apartment. At least when he was at Ash’s, there was someone to talk too whether it be Shorter or Ash. He liked being with them.

He got into sweats, deciding to leave Ash’s shirt on since it was so comfortable, and got out his laptop. 

It’s too bad that Shorter or Ash didn’t mention the last name on this Dino, Eiji deciding to try and snoop a little before he started to work. He googled ‘ash lynx’ first but found nothing. Then ‘dino’ and ‘ash lynx’ together but again came up with nothing. 

Eiji sighed, just closing out of the window, knowing he wasn’t going to be able to find something. So he just got to work, trying to not think about who this person actually was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also, since Ash hasn't had a rut in so long it's kinda like going through puberty again, poor baby. He's gonna be a hormonal mess


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I'm so sorry for the wait, I'm just having the hardest time writing this lately. I'm gonna strive for weekly updates because my life is just a lot right now. I'll try and get a chapter out on Sunday or Tuesday, just depending on my schedule.  
> I really appreciate your comments and kudos, you've all been so sweet!  
> Hope you all enjoy XD

Eiji went over to Ash’s apartment the next night, having asked him to spend the night. He basically had a load of laundry in tow, some of the clothes that he had worn and others that had gone through the wash that he hadn’t worn yet. He was careful to not choose something that he would want to wear anytime soon, getting the feeling he might not getting any of his things back for a while. He brought it in a laundry basket, the only thing he could think of to carry how much stuff he was going to bring. 

When Ash opened the door, he looked tired though seemed to perk up when he saw the clothes.  
“I was joking when I said I wanted everything,” Ash laughed as he let Eiji in.

“Were you though?” Eiji asked as he walked in, eyebrow raised.

Ash just made a face.

Shorter was sitting in the living room, text books around him. He looked confused and kept making faces at his laptop before he looked over and said hi to Eiji.

“Hey, wow,” Shorter laughed. “That’s a lot of stuff.”

Eiji blushed, shuffling around a little. “I didn’t know what to bring.”

“It’s fine,” Ash said quickly. He took the basket from Eiji, walking into his room with everything.

Eiji noticed there was a few candles burning, thankfully all the same scent but they seemed to be concentrated around Shorter on the coffee table.

Shorter looked up to see Eiji looking confused.

“It’s because Ash’s scent is so strong,” Shorter whispered. “It was the only thing I could think of try and mask it in a nice way. I don’t think he realizes how strong it is.”

“Is it really that bad?” Eiji asked. He couldn’t smell anything besides the candles, a clean sort of smell. 

“Kinda,” Shorter nodded. “I don’t think he’s used to how strong his scent is off suppressants and how to reel it in.”

“Oh.”

Shorter went back to working on his homework, Eiji deciding to go into Ash’s room then, seeing what the other was up too with his clothes.

Ash had dumped everything onto his bed, which again looked like a mess to Eiji. He was sorting through everything, throwing some things back into the laundry basket on his bed. Eiji noticed they were the things that had gone through the wash. 

“I want the things that have your scent the most on them,” Ash explained, though seemed completely embarrassed to say that.

“Oh, so I can have those back then?” Eiji asked.

“Yeah, I don’t want them,” Ash huffed.

Eiji went and sat on Ash’s messy bed, watching the other throw his clothes around. Ash looked like he was concentrating on what he was doing a slight frown on his face before he looked up to see Eiji watching him with a smile.

Ash immediately started blushed. “What?”

“Nothing, just watching you,” Eiji grinned. “Having fun?”

Ash gave Eiji a look before picking up a handful of Eiji’s clothes and throwing them at him. “Yes. Yes, I am.”

Eiji laughed, swatting at the clothes and throwing them back at Ash. 

“So, why do you make a nest anyways?” Eiji asked, tossing some of his shirts into the middle of the bed. 

Ash moved the laundry basket off his bed to the floor, the only clothes in it were the ones that Eiji had washed. He moved onto the bed, sprawling out on his back. 

“I don’t _really_ know,” Ash shrugged. “I thought that alpha’s only did it because they were trying to impress an omega but I don’t have an omega that I’m trying to impress so I don’t know. I do know that omega’s make nests more often. It just feels safe and comfortable to me. Um, especially with y-your scent in it.”

Eiji grinned, moving to lay down next to Ash who wrapped an arm around him. “Aw, you like me.”

Ash groaned. “I feel like you’ve been around Shorter too much. You’re not allowed to hang out with him anymore.”

Eiji laughed, giving Ash’s cheek a kiss. “Nah, I don’t think so.”

The bed was lumpy and sort of uncomfortable with all of Eiji’s clothes on it, not including the ones that Ash had on it before. Ash had just thrown everything on the bed, not really doing much with it so it wasn’t like it could be that comfortable.

“Did you work today?” Eiji asked, noticing he looked like he was still in pajamas.

Ash shook his head. “I didn’t feel good so I called in.”

Eiji turned onto his side, letting Ash curl into him, his head tucked under his chin. 

“Can you rub my back?” Ash asked. “I feel so gross.”

“Sure,” Eiji laughed, moving Ash’s shirt out of the way a little to get at his back.

“I hate this,” Ash huffed, shoving his face the slightest bit closer to Eiji. “I hate that I even have to go through a rut. The whole thing is stupid.”

“I’m sorry,” Eiji said gently. “I don’t know how it feels but I can’t imagine it’s fun.”

Ash tucked one of his legs in between Eiji’s, getting the slightest bit closer to him. “It’s not like the worst thing in the world but I just hate how it makes me feel. It’s like I have no control over what’s going on with me and I hate it. The part where my hormones are going crazy is fun too.”

“Why don’t you feel like you have control?” Eiji asked, moving his hand a little higher, making Ash’s shirt ride up as he rubbed his back.

Ash was silent for a moment before he groaned. “Because my body is screaming at me to just mount you but I don’t want that right now.” As he said that, he pressed against Eiji who was now able to feel something hard against his thigh.

Eiji didn’t register it for a moment before he went completely red. “D-do you want me to leave?”

“No,” Ash shook his head, moving back slightly to look at Eiji. “No, don’t leave. I really want you here. I promise to not try anything.”

Eiji noticed that Ash’s eyes looked a little glassy, like he wasn’t completely focusing on him. 

“I-I mean, I wouldn’t _opposed_ if you tried something but…” Eiji trailed off, unsure. He definitely cared about Ash and wanted him in this way. He knew he’d eventually want to have sex with him but he also knew that he wasn’t ready for that quite yet. He didn’t know if he could even handle spending his rut with him, knowing that it was mostly going to be sex the entire time. 

“I’m not going to ask you to spend my rut with me,” Ash sighed, wrapping his arms around Eiji. “It’s definitely going to start very soon though. I like to think that I’ll be in my right mind but I don’t know. I haven’t had one in so long so I just don’t know really.”

Eiji nodded, finally stopping rubbing Ash’s back. They laid silently for a bit before Ash started to get antsy, making Eiji get out of the bed.

“Why?” Eiji asked, arms crossed as he watched Ash sit in the middle of the bed and frown at it.

“Go out in the living room or something,” Ash shooed him away. “I need to fix it.”

Eiji rolled his eyes but left the room, giving him some space. He found Shorter still on the couch, typing on his laptop and looking as frustrated as ever.

“He kicked me out to fix his nest,” Eiji huffed as he moved a textbook to sit next to Shorter.

Shorter snorted, grabbing the book and moving it to the coffee table. “He’s been in there all day rearranging that thing. I think he needs to give up.”

Eiji laughed, peeking to see what Shorter was working on. There was a word document open and only a handful of lines were written.

“Hey, don’t read my homework!” Shorter stuck his tongue out, tilting his laptop away from Eiji.

“Are you having trouble?” Eiji teased.

Shorter glared at him before moving so he was facing Eiji. “Don’t be like that.”

Eiji just laughed, now trying to tilt the laptop so he could read it.

“Hey!” Shorter slapped at Eiji’s hand, getting Eiji to eventually stop.

Shorter eventually got back to typing, though seemed to be reading more then typing. 

They could hear mumbling from the other room, Ash talking to himself. 

“See, he’s super focused,” Shorter pointed out. “Been like that all day. I think seeing all the clothes with your scent on them made him super happy.”

“Yeah, he seemed really happy about that,” Eiji nodded.

“Just don’t have loud sex,” Shorter said, glaring at Eiji over his laptop. “I’m very busy and I don’t want to listen to that.”

Eiji felt his face flush at those words. “We’re not going to do that!”

“Uh huh, right. You go on believing that, you innocent little boy,” Shorter grinned, mischief clear in his eyes.

Before Eiji could say anything to that, Ash called for him from his room. Eiji got up to go back in there though he could hear Shorter chuckling. When he looked back at him, he saw him grabbing headphones from the coffee table and plugging them into his laptop.

“Stop being like that!” Eiji told Shorter, who just laughed harder.

“What’s his problem now?” Ash asked, sitting in the middle of the bed.

Eiji just shook his head.

The bed still looked messy but like Ash had intentionally made it that way. Eiji’s clothes were scattered throughout it, almost weaved throughout it though seemed to focus more towards the head of the bed. Ash seemed beyond proud of himself, his chest almost seeming to puff out a little.

“Can I get back in now?” Eiji asked.

Ash nodded. “You should put something comfier on though. You can borrow my clothes.”

“I have like half a laundry basket of my own clothes here that you refused to put in your nest,” Eiji told him, arms crossed. “I think that I should be able to figure out something to wear.”

Ash pouted. “If I say please?”

Eiji sighed but let Ash give him some sweats and a t-shirt. Once he was changed he got into bed with Ash who immediately tucked into him. The bed was definitely more comfortable now that Ash had rearranged it, not all lumpy. 

Ash pulled a blanket over them, wrapping his arms around Eiji and nuzzling into Eiji’s neck, placing a soft kiss there.

“Why do you like my neck so much?” Eiji laughed, the kiss tickling slightly.

“You just smell nice,” Ash told him. “I’m tired, can we sleep?”

Eiji didn’t really care, letting Ash get the slightest bit closer to him before he fell asleep. He wasn’t really tired but he could tell that Ash was so he let him sleep peacefully. He ran his fingers through his soft hair, digging out a couple of tangles in the process.

He eventually fell asleep, warm and cozy next to Ash.

—

Eiji woke up in the middle of night feeling overly warm. It was still dark out, the faint glow of the street lights the only thing that illuminated the room. He looked over and saw Ash, still asleep but was breathing heavy.

“Ash?” Eiji said, reaching over to shake the other. He felt hot, like he had a fever. “Ash, wake up.”

Ash groaned but woke up slowly. “I don’t feel good, Eiji.”

Eiji sat up, pulling the covers off of them, worried about Ash possibly having a fever. “What’s wrong? Are you getting sick?”

Ash shook his head. “No, I think the beginning of my rut is starting.”

Eiji didn’t know what to do, just stared down at Ash with wide eyes.

Ash sat up, groaning as he did so. “Eiji, I’ll be fine if you want to spend the night still. I don’t think it’ll really start for a while.”

“You don’t want to, uh, be alone?” Eiji bit his lip.

Ash shook his head, leaning a little close to Eiji and seemed to sniff at him a little. “No, I want you here. I really do. I think it’ll help.”

Eiji nodded. “Okay, but I have work in the morning so I’d have to leave regardless.”

Ash didn’t seem to like that, making a face and moving the two of them so he was laying on Eiji.

Eiji giggled as Ash kissed his neck gently. It started off playful, Ash laughing as well before Ash bit lightly.

Eiji jolted at that but didn’t say anything, prompting Ash to continue. Ash licked at where he bit him, making Eiji shudder slightly before he bit him again now sucking a small bruise into neck.

Eiji made a small noise, making Ash pull back slightly.

“Sorry, I’ll stop,” Ash said, Eiji able to see that Ash’s eyes were glassy again.

“I’m fine if you are,” Eiji told him. “Just… kiss me?”

Ash nodded, Eiji gently taking Ash’s face in his hands and pulling him in for a kiss. It was very tentative at first, Ash seeming like he was holding back.

Eiji didn’t like that, shoving Ash off of him. Ash seemed startled before Eiji climbed onto his lap, leaning down to kiss him again.

“Ash, you really don’t have to treat me like I’m made of glass,” Eiji said against Ash’s lips. “I promise I want this and I want you.”

That seemed to spur Ash on, pulling Eiji in closer and licking into his mouth.

Eiji could tell that Ash had been holding back, hands now moving under his shirt on his sides and nails digging into his skin the slightest. Ash gripped Eiji’s waist before flipping them again, making Eiji laugh as they separated for a moment. 

Ash seemed to eat that up, pulling Eiji back in for another heated kiss. He eventually moved down to kiss and lick at Eiji’s neck again. When Ash bit him again, much harder this time, Eiji couldn’t help but let out a breathy moan. He had originally just really wanted to make out with the were, been wanting to for a while, but Ash touching him made him think he wouldn’t mind if it went a little further.

Eiji’s shirt had shifted up from moving around, Ash now pushing it up further. They eventually had to part, Ash insisting on taking Eiji’s shirt off, moving it into his nest.

“You too,” Eiji said, pulling at Ash’s shirt a little.

Ash laughed, sitting back and pulling his shirt off, tucking it into the nest as well. It was hard to see in the room, it so dark out so they couldn’t really make each other out that well but Ash seemed to appreciate the skin on skin when Eiji pulled him back down for a kiss, making a soft moan.

It continued like that until Eiji felt the press of Ash’s hips against his. He made a noise, having not expected that. He hadn’t even realized he was reacting but he didn’t stop Ash when he rolled his hips against his again.

Eiji broke away from the kiss, moaning softly. He let his legs fall open slightly, Ash moving the slightest bit closer to him. He could feel the Ash’s hard cock, rubbing against his own quickly hardening one. Ash trailed hot kisses down his throat until he bit lightly at his collarbone.

Eiji let out a broken moan, letting his fingers tangle in Ash’s hair as he trailed kisses down his chest. Ash got dangerously close to his nipple, biting next to it before licking where he bit. Eiji didn’t even realize he had pulled Ash so he was now breathing over his nipple, licking at the hardened nub before taking it into his mouth and sucking.

Eiji moaned, louder this time. He made the mistake of looking down and seeing Ash staring up at him with intense eyes, making him quickly sneeze them shut.  
When Ash moved away from his chest, now slightly wet, Eiji tried to pull the other up for a kiss but Ash batted his hand away. Instead, running his fingers down Eiji’s side until he got to the sweats Eiji was wearing. He pulled them down and off, seeing the tenting his boxers created, making Eiji blush and look away.

Ash tentatively brushed the back of his fingers on the clothed cock, staring down at Eiji.

“Can I?” Ash asked softly, his voice slightly deeper then normal.

Eiji nodded, not trusting his voice. He watched as Ash gently pulled his boxers off, throwing them onto the bed somewhere. Eiji had a feeling he might have to fight Ash to get those back.

Eiji felt himself flush even harder, now that he was completely naked, wanting to curl in on himself.

Ash let out a shaky breath as he leaned over Eiji, letting his fingers curl around Eiji’s cock.

Eiji jerked at the touch, wrapping his arms around Ash’s shoulders as he leaned down to kiss Eiji. He moaned against Ash’s lips when he started to move his hand, rubbing his thumb against the head. 

Eiji didn’t realize he was so close, embarrassingly close, until Ash suddenly took his hand away making Eiji let out a small whine.

Ash chuckled at that, now pulling down his pants, his cock bobbing out having not worn any underwear.

Eiji felt his face get the slightest bit redder. He had seen Ash naked before, when he had seen Ash shift but this was different. 

When Ash lined their cocks up, Eiji knew he was a goner, feeling Ash against him. He moaned when he felt Ash wrap a hand around the two of them, moving slowly but quickly speeding up.

Ash leaned down to kiss him as Eiji got the got the courage to touch Ash too, wrapping a hand around the two of them too.

Ash let out a choked moan, moving to bury his face his Eiji’s neck. 

It was embarrassingly fast after that, their hands sloppily chasing pleasure.

Ash came first, groaning slightly and bit Eiji’s shoulder in turn making Eiji come, the two making a mess on Eiji’s stomach. 

Ash stayed like that for a moment, his teeth digging into Eiji’s shoulder. Eiji didn’t mind though, the were not having drawn blood so there wasn't a chance of him changing. 

Ash moved away eventually, rolling over to lay next to Eiji. He accidentally let his hand fall into the mess on Eiji, making a face.

“I’ll get something to clean you up,” Ash said, getting up. He pulled his pants back up, Eiji noticing that he still seemed to be hard.

Ash disappeared for a moment, coming back with a wet washcloth, cleaning Eiji up. He threw the washcloth onto the floor, not really seeming to care about it before getting back into bed. Ash pulled Eiji into his arms, pulling the covers back over them too.

“Let me at least get my underwear on,” Eiji whined, wiggling slightly.

“No,” Ash told him, giving him a small kiss. “Just stay.”

Eiji huffed, finally admitting defeat and knowing he was going to have to sleep naked. He leaned into the embrace, able to feel that Ash was still hard.

“D-do you need more?” Eiji stuttered, unsure how to ask.

Ash just groaned before shaking his head. “It’ll go away. It’s just because of my rut. Let me just hold you.”

Eiji nodded, resting his head on Ash’s chest. Eiji eventually heard him start to purr happily before he drifted off to sleep, Ash extremely warm against him.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got it out a little sooner then I thought!  
> I'm only like semi happy with this chapter but oh well...  
> Hope you guys enjoy :)

Eiji was rudely awakened the next morning to someone yanking on his arm, hard. He opened his eyes to see Shorter trying to get him out of the bed, now trying to yank the covers off of him. Eiji quickly remembered he was naked and managed to get a grip on them so he wouldn’t throw them off.

“Oh my god, _what_?” Eiji hissed angrily at Shorter, still half asleep.

“Get up,” Shorter told him, still trying to get the covers off of him. “Get dressed and leave.”

Eiji was confused, looking over to try and ask Ash what was going on but he found the bed empty. He sat up, making sure the blankets still covered him, and frowned at the larger man.

“Shorter, what’s-“

“Eiji,” Shorter interrupted, digging through the nest and grabbing clothes to throw at Eiji. “The complete and utter dumbass thought his rut had started last night but that wasn’t it. He actually started it just now. So you need to leave now.”

Eiji was still confused, though started putting clothes on, not even looking at what he was putting on. Once he was dressed, Shorter started shoving him out into the living room.

“Come on, it’s time to leave now,” Shorter huffed, pushing at Eiji.

“Why are you being so weird about it?” Eiji snapped, turning around before he got to the front door. “I understand he’s in rut but you didn’t have to be so rude about it.”

Shorter groaned, looking defeated. “Eiji, Ash is actually in rut right now and I'm afraid he’ll do something to you. I have him in the bathroom but it’s not like I can lock it or anything so please leave before something bad happens.”

Eiji felt an almost pull towards Ash, not wanting to leave him but knew he should listen to Shorter and leave especially since Shorter didn’t seem to believe that Ash could control himself at the moment. 

He was getting in his car, realizing that it was extremely early, the sun barely rising yet. He had a few hours before he had to be at work, needing to shower and change into real clothes. The clothes Shorter had thrown at him were too big, the shirt almost slipping off his shoulder. He had the suspicion that it was actually Shorter’s shirt, though he knew the pajama pants were Ash’s, having been the ones he was wearing last night.

As he was starting his car, still completely shocked that Shorter had actually thrown him out of the apartment, he looked over and saw a blonde man staring at him. He looked away quickly, not wanting to be rude but he could feel the man’s eyes on his so he looked up again.

He had longer blonde hair but it seemed to be styled up, his face so stern looking he seemed almost angry. They only made eye contact for a moment before the man walked away.

Eiji didn’t like the look he had in his eyes.

He tried to ignore it, putting his car into gear and driving away. 

When he got home, he immediately got into the shower, welcoming the warm water as it washed over him. He got ready for work quickly, deciding to just go in early.

There were only a handful of people at the office when he got there. Eiji sat at his desk, deciding to just get to work right away.

Ibe came in a little later, surprised to see Eiji already there. 

“Morning Eiji, what’s the special occasion?” Ibe teased as he set his things down.

“Nothing,” Eiji huffed. “I can’t come in early?”

“No you can,” Ibe said, sitting down at his desk. “Oh, how are things with your soulmate?”

Eiji went completely red. It was Ibe’s favorite thing to tease him about and he brought it up whenever he could. “Everything’s fine. Super great.”

Ibe laughed. “So when can I officially meet him?”

“Never if you’re going to be weird about it,” Eiji stuck his tongue out at the man to which Ibe just laughed. 

They eventually got to work, unable to goof off the whole day. 

When Eiji finally decided to take a break it was almost lunch time, having not realized so much time had passed. He stretched in his seat, hearing something crack before he figured he should get up.

Eiji was trying to figure out what to eat when the door to there office opened revealing an older, bald well dressed man. The man scanned the room for a moment before his eyes landed on Eiji. For whatever reason, Eiji didn’t like the feeling he got when he looked at him, making him uncomfortable.

“Ah, you must be Eiji Okumura,” he said, walking into the room, his hand held out to shake Eiji’s.  
Eiji nodded, getting up and shaking his hand tentatively, wondering who he could be.

The man leaned in ever so slightly when they shook hands, Eiji even believing that he sniffed him, his eyes twitching ever so slightly. He wondered if he was a were too then. 

All weres didn’t do that, right? He didn’t think Shorter had ever done that to him and Ash was open about liking the way he smelled so he used to it if he did it.

“I’m Mr. Golzine,” he said, smiling. “I just wanted to let you know I’m a fan of your writing and even your photography. I think you’re doing an amazing job for someone so young.”

“Oh, thank you,” Eiji said, trying to be polite. “People don’t usually come in person to say that. That’s, uh, that’s very nice of you.”

“Well I wanted to make sure you got the sentiment and of course meet you in person,” Mr Golzine said, continuing to smile. The smile seemed fake to Eiji, like he was forcing himself to act nice.

“Thank you again,” Eiji nodded, looking over at Ibe for help. 

Ibe just shrugged his shoulders.

He didn’t like this man already. He didn’t like the way he looked at him at all.

“Well, I’ll be on my way then,” Mr. Golzine said quickly. “It was _very_ nice to meet you. Hopefully we’ll see more of each other in the future.” He left then, making Eiji cringe as he spoke. He didn’t know what it was but he didn’t want the chance to meet him in the future.

“That was weird,” Ibe said. “Who even was he?”

“I don’t know,” Eiji shrugged. “Can we ban people from the office?”

Ibe snorted. “I mean we an try but it’s not like there’s security.”

Eiji just groaned, going to get something to eat from the kitchen.

—

When Eiji was done with work and walking to his car, he felt like he was being watched, like there were eyes following him. It made the whole day weirder and made him feel slightly unnerved. Even when he got home he still felt the eyes, watching him as he got to his apartment. 

By the time he got to his floor, his heart was pounding and he felt like he was starting to panic. As he round the corner to his apartment, he almost jumped through the ceiling when he saw someone waiting it was there.

It wasn’t until he recognized purple hair did his heart stop beating as fast.

“Hi Eiji!” Shorter said, chipper as ever and giving him a half wave.

“You nearly gave me a heart attack,” Eiji scolded him. “What are you doing here?”

Shorter gave him a sheepish smile. “Yeah, I can’t stay at my place. It stinks to high heavens of Ash and I don’t want to smell that. I’m gonna stay here…please?”

Eiji made a face, now noticing the duffel bag that Shorter was trying to hide behind his back. 

“You can’t just invite yourself into other peoples homes,” Eiji huffed, going to open his door. “What if I say no? Don’t you have other friends?”

“I’ll… cry? I don’t know but… please? Pretty please with cherries on top?” Shorter pushed, pouting now.

Eiji rolled his eyes but nodded. “Fine, come in. Honestly, I’ve been feeling paranoid all day. I wouldn’t mind some company.”

Shorter frowned at that but didn’t say anything to it. “It’ll only be for a few days hopefully, please and thank you!”

“Yeah, yeah,” Eiji said, letting Shorter in. “I only have a one bedroom apartment. You’re sleeping on the couch.”

Shorter just shrugged. “I don’t really care. Thank you Eiji!”

Eiji gave him a short tour of the apartment, though there wasn’t much to show.

“Did Ash tell you where I live?” Eiji asked. Shorter had never been over to his apartment before so he found it odd that he would know.

“Well, yeah,” Shorter snorted. “I’m not in the business of stalking you.”

Eiji just made a face at him before leaving to change his clothes. He just got on sweats, deciding he wasn’t going to go anywhere that night.

“Hey, how is Ash?” Eiji asked Shorter as he left his room.

Shorter was on the couch now, watching tv, making himself at home apparently. “He’s fine. He’s just taking care of himself all by his lonesome.”

Eiji flushed slightly, trying to ignore what Shorter was implying. “Is he eating?”

“He has these protein bar things he bought himself,” Shorter shrugged. “And some water bottles. He should be fine.”

It made Eiji want to go take care of him regardless of what the consequences would be.

“Did you have fun last night?” Shorter asked, grinning.

Eiji felt his face go red again, this time leaving to go into his kitchen to find something to eat. He could hear Shorter cackling in the living room.

Eiji sighed as he opened his fridge. It was so weird for Shorter to even be there. He didn’t strike Eiji as the type of person to do that, just showing up at someones doorstep unannounced. He remembered that Ash had asked Shorter to watch him when he couldn’t but he hadn’t thought it would entail this. He was a nice person so of course he would open his home to him but it still struck him as odd.

Eiji gave up trying to find something to eat, going back out into the living room. 

Shorter was on his phone, frowning at it.

“Shorter, are you here because of what Ash said before?” Eiji asked, making him look up from his phone.

“What? No, of course not,” Shorter laughed nervously, looking away from Eiji.

Eiji didn’t believe him at all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't figure out what type of were Arthur should be, I wanna know what you guys think  
> Also Eiji will get to meet Shorter in his were form soon XD


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You all have been freaking awesome and I decided that you deserve another chapter for that! Honestly though I love to read your comments, you've all been so sweet!  
> I feel refreshed and ready and I was able to write so much this weekend and I thank you all for that :D  
> And thank you for the suggestions for Arthur, I've narrowed it down to a few, I just need to make up my mind lol  
> Hope you enjoy~

Eiji hadn’t lived with anyone in a while and only after one day he was sick of it. Shorter was messy and loud and he wanted his apartment to himself again. 

Shorter had made himself at home on the couch in that one night, his clothes everywhere. 

Eiji could feel himself twitch every time he thought of his messy living room. He knew it was only going to be temporary but it was becoming a little too much.

It didn’t help that he wanted Shorter at his place though. Work was quickly becoming a place he didn’t want to go and he felt like he was becoming more and more paranoid, still feeling like someone was watching.

The day after Mr. Golzine visited, Eiji found flowers on his desk, a card attached saying that they were from Mr. Golzine and an info card telling what kind of flowers they were. The two main ones were yellow carnations and yellow hyacinths, little white flowers placed throughout the arrangement. It was very beautiful and bright but the fact that it was from that man made Eiji want to throw it in the trash.

Eiji cringed every time he looked up from working and saw them. He had gone to the bathroom at one point and when he came back they were gone.

“Where did-“ Eiji began.

“They’re gone,” Ibe interrupted, not even looking up.

Eiji felt a little better.

When he got home that night he thought he saw someone in the alley next to his apartment, just watching him as he made his way to the door to the building. He could only make out their silhouette but it felt vaguely familiar. He quickly went inside his building, practically sprinting up to his apartment.

Shorter wasn’t there when he opened the door, making him feel even more stressed, quickly locking the door behind him. He fiddled around for a bit until he heard a knock on the door, making him jump. When he looked through the peephole, he saw Shorter there looking slightly annoyed.

Eiji felt relief go through him when he saw him, opening the door quickly. 

“I don’t have a key,” Shorter huffed, walking in. “I should have one!”

Eiji blinked before snorting. “You’re only going to be here for a few days. It’s not like you need one.”

Shorter pouted, going and flopping down on the couch, moving some of his clothes. “Please?”

“No.”

Eiji felt better about having someone in his apartment with him, especially Shorter, who Ash had trusted him with.

Eiji went and sat down on the couch, moving some clothes.

“You should really be more gracious to your host and clean your messes,” Eiji pointed out, throwing a shirt at Shorter.

“Aw, don’t be like that Eiji,” Shorter pouted. “I’m sorry! I’ll clean it up, I promise.”

Eiji just rolled his eyes. “You’re lucky I don’t kick you out for your messiness.”

Shorter’s eyes widened. “You wouldn’t!”

“No, I wouldn’t,” Eiji laughed. “I actually liking having you around. I’ve been feeling very…paranoid lately.” Eiji fiddled with his shirt, feeling almost embarrassed telling Shorter that.

“Paranoid? What’s making you paranoid?” Shorter frowned, looking concerned.

“I… I feel like someone’s watching me,” Eiji said quietly.

“Watching you?” Shorter repeated.

“Uh, yeah,” Eiji laughed nervously. “I know it’s stupid. It’s probably nothing.”

“No, that’s not nothing!” Shorter told him loudly. “Has anything happened?”

Shorter looked almost upset with how concerned he was.

“Um, well there was someone who creeped me out when I left your place the other day,” Eiji said. “And just some weird things at the office. Oh and I could have sworn someone was watching me from the alley when I got home.”

Shorter jumped up then, making Eiji flinch. “Just now? In the alley next the building?”

Eiji nodded, not even able to say anything before Shorter was stomping out the door and slamming it shut.

He hadn’t expected him to react like that.

Shorter wasn’t gone for long since it started raining. When he came back in he looked tired, running his hand through his wet hair.

“You really didn’t have to do that,” Eiji shook his head. “It’s probably just nothing.”

Shorter gave Eiji a stern look. “It’s not nothing. We were worried that-“ he cut himself off, sighing.

“Is this about that Dino guy?” Eiji frowned. “Why would he care about me? I thought he wanted Ash?”

Shorter made a face. “It… it’s probably him trying to find out about you. Or at least one of his lackey’s.”

“You seriously think so?”

Shorter looked worried, coming back to sit next to Eiji. “I do. I couldn’t smell anything out in the alley and the rain would have washed anything away by now too. But don’t worry, I’ll be here.”

Eiji nodded, unsure what to feel.

—

He woke up the next morning, feeling a weight draped across his neck. He blearily opened his eyes, looking to see a huge cat purring softly and sleeping on his neck. The cat had extremely short hair except for the line going from his head down to the tip of his tail of long purple hair.

It had to be Shorter.

Had he shifted and decided that Eiji’s neck was a good place to sleep?

Eiji couldn’t help but laugh, understanding what Shorter had mentioned about Ash making fun of him. He looked hilarious.

His laughing woke Shorter up who made an almost annoyed noise at him, turning to give him a look. Even his face had short hair, making Eiji laugh harder.

“What are you doing?” Eiji laughed, reaching to scratch behind the cats ears. “I didn’t say you could sleep in bed with me.”

Shorter started at him, meowing softly. 

“Well, you have to get off of me please,” Eiji said, trying to remove the large cat from his neck.  
Shorter didn’t seem to like that, going limp as Eiji tried to pick him up.

Eiji managed to get him off, putting him on the ground and sitting up.

Shorter made an angry noise, almost like he was yelling at him, before walking out of the room with his tail flicking angrily.

Eiji felt like he needed that, just seeing Shorter as a cat was… too much. He chuckled a little thinking about it.

“Eiji, what’s for breakfast?” Shorter asked, poking his head through the door.

“I don’t know, find yourself something,” Eiji rolled his eyes. “Also what the heck were you doing in here with me?”

Shorter looked sheepish. “Uh, well I must have shifted last night and decided you looked comfy. But mostly protecting you!”

Eiji made a face at him, Shorter quickly leaving.

When Eiji was getting ready to leave for work, Shorter told him he was going to bring him. Shorter insisted enough that Eiji let him, driving him to work and telling him he would pick him up when he was done.

Halfway through the day, more flowers came. A huge arrangement of white lilies and no card though Eiji knew who they were from. Eiji felt uncomfortable looking at them, not liking that they were there.

This time Mr. Golzine came a few hours after the flowers were delivered, finding Eiji immediately.

“Oh, um, hello,” Eiji said not even wanting to make eye contact with the man.

“Did you like the flowers I sent you?” he asked, a small smile on his face. He frowned when he saw only the vase of lilies on his desk. “What happened to the ones from yesterday?”

“Uh,” Eiji looked at him, unsure of what to say.

“I accidentally knocked them over!” Ibe said loudly, saving Eiji. “I can be such a klutz sometimes. I’m terribly sorry. They were completely ruined.”

Mr. Golzine stared angrily at Ibe for a moment before smiling back at Eiji.

“Well, either way, I hope these ones don’t get ruined,” Mr. Golzine told Eiji. “I came by to make sure that you liked the flowers. I’ll make sure to send more and to please not ruin anymore.” He stared pointedly at Ibe who shrunk in on himself a little.

“They’re very nice,” Eiji said lamely. “Though maybe unnecessary?”

“Nonsense, I saw them and thought of you specifically,” Mr. Golzine said, turning towards the door. “I’ll be on my way. Have an excellent day, dear Eiji.”

With that, he was gone.

Eiji felt chills run through him.

“I don’t like him,” Ibe told him.

“I don’t either.”

Eiji went through the rest of the day almost on autopilot, not realizing that it was the end of the day until he saw Shorter walk in.

“Hi Eiji,” Shorter greeted, waving happily as he went and sat in a chair next to Eiji’s desk.

“Hey,” Eiji greeted. “You didn’t have to come up you know. I could have walked out to the car.”  
Shorter just shook his head. “What’s with these flowers?”

Eiji made a face. They didn’t throw them out this time, worried that it would only upset Mr. Golzine further if he came back.

“They’re from Eiji’s stalker,” Ibe said to which Eiji glared at him. 

“Stalker?” Shorter asked, giving Eiji a pointed look. “And you didn’t tell me about this because?”

“Thanks,” Eiji grumbled.

Ibe grinned sheepishly.

“Eiji.”

“They’re from some creep who keeps coming to the office,” Eiji brushed it off. “It’s seriously nothing.”

Shorter glared at Eiji before looking over at Ibe.

“Who is he?” Shorter asked Ibe.

“He said his name is Mr. Golzine,” Ibe told him quickly before Eiji could cut him off. “We don’t really know anything about him but… he’s pretty creepy.”

Shorter looked like he had seen a ghost, his eyes widening and skin seeming to pale ever so slightly. “ _What_?”

“What?” Eiji asked. “Do you know who that is?”

Shorter turned to look at Eiji. “That’s Dino. Dino Golzine.”

Eiji didn’t even know how to react. Shorter had told him he was a bad man that does bad things, not really much to go on. For some reason he wasn’t necessarily afraid like he had been before, he was more angry then anything now. This was the man who hurt Ash in some way and Eiji hated that. 

“Come on,” Shorter said quickly. “We’re leaving.” With that he got up and pulled Eiji from his chair, Eiji barely able to get his bag and tell Ibe bye.

“Shorter, you seriously need to learn how to be gentler,” Eiji snapped as he was able to get his hand back.

“I’m sorry but you’ve met Dino, what? How many times and I’m only just learning about this?” Shorter huffed as he got to the car. They got in, Eiji silent.

“Does he come to the office often?” Shorter asked as they turned out of the parking lot.

“He’s only been there twice now, today the second time,” Eiji told him.

Shorter made an agitated noise.

“He hasn’t really done anything besides the flowers,” Eiji said. “And they’re really pretty regardless. I don’t think you need to freak out or anything.”

Shorter’s eye twitched. “But he knows who you are and that’s just as bad. I’m not letting you out of my sight.”

Eiji raised his eyebrow. “You can’t watch me 24/7. That’s even creepier.”

“Just… let me do this for Ash,” Shorter sighed. “If he knew about this he’d be beyond upset. I’m not even going to try and tell him. He’d probably try and leave regardless of his rut.”

Eiji sighed, looking out the window.

When they got home, Shorter ushered him up to his apartment quickly. Once they were in he went around and made sure that all windows were locked and blinds closed. 

“No leaving unless I say so,” Shorter huffed.

“You’re making it sound like I’m your prisoner or something,” Eiji sighed. “I’m an adult and I can take care of myself.”

Shorter didn’t look to happy with that but didn’t say anything, double checking to make sure everything was secure.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You can thank my own very fluffy cat for that scene with Shorter, he tries to suffocate me every morning because that's how he knows he'll get me to wake up and feed him haha  
> Oh and I based the flowers on the meaning behind them  
> yellow carnations-distain or rejection  
> yellow hyacinths-jealousy  
> white lilies- modesty and virginity  
> he's just trying to bitch slap eiji with the flowers lol


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyyyyy :)

Eiji woke up the next morning with fur in his mouth, looking to see Shorter curled up on his pillow in his cat form again. His tail was flicking around and he seemed to be looking out the window next to his bed attentively, his ear flicking back when he heard Eiji move.

“Are you just going to start sleeping in here too?” Eiji sighed.

Shorter looked back at him, chirping quietly before moving to jump down from the bed and leave the room.

“At least ask permission if you’re gonna do that from now on,” Eiji told him. 

“Fine,” Shorter said as he walked back into the room, now in his human form, thankfully in pants. “I’m gonna go make sure that Ash is doing okay today and no you can’t come with. You stay here. Can you call in to work?”

Eiji made a face, wanting to see Ash. He felt like he was actually becoming depressed from not being able to see him. “Are you seriously making me call in to work? I’d probably be better to go then stay here.”

Shorter thought that over and shook his head. “Nope. No, you stay here and don’t leave. Lock the doors and windows.”

Eiji groaned, pulling the covers back over his head. He snatched his phone, quickly calling Ibe to tell him he’d be working from home today. He seemed mildly concerned most likely from the fact that he left so abruptly yesterday.

Shorter left shortly after that, yelling at Eiji to not leave and lock up behind him. It made him just want to be defiant and leave out of spite.

He decided to just stay in bed, not really wanting to do much now that he was being quarantined in his own home.

Eiji wanted to talk to Ash, he wanted to see him and hear his voice. He wished that he didn’t have to be away from him.

He grabbed his phone and tapped into his messages with Ash, deciding to just send a quick ‘I miss you’ to him after fretting if that was too forward. He knew that Ash probably wouldn’t be looking at his phone but he just wanted to let him know he was thinking of him. He was probably a little too preoccupied anyways.

Shorter came back a little later, letting himself in with Eiji’s keys that he must have stolen.

“He sent Ash fucking orchids,” Shorter said as he walked in.

Eiji had moved from his room to the couch, having moved all of Shorter’s clothes back in his duffel. He was eating chips and watching tv, moving over to let Shorter sit down.

“He makes me sick,” Shorter huffed, sitting down.

“Why is he sending flowers to us?” Eiji asked, offering the bag of chips to Shorter.

“Who knows,” Shorter said, grabbing the bag and shoving some in his mouth.

“How’s Ash?” Eiji asked.

“He’s… alive, for one thing,” Shorter told him. “He didn’t really like that I was there I don’t think. He growled at me, which was just rude.”

Eiji laughed, Shorter looking extremely offended by that.

“I’m happy he’s okay,” Eiji smiled. “How much longer do you think it’s gonna be?”

Shorter shrugged. “I don’t know. He hasn’t had one in a while. It could be a long one.”

Eiji made a face at that, snatching the bag of chips back to eat his feelings.

Shorter left again, having to go to class but he said that _he would know_ if Eiji attempted to leave, giving him a pointed look before leaving.

Eiji felt trapped in his own home and he hated it.

When he got hungry for lunch, he decided to order delivery, not wanting anything he had.

It was stupid so assume that he would be okay, mostly just thinking that Shorter was being even more paranoid then he was.

The second he opened the door to the delivery person standing outside, he felt chills run through him.

He had extremely long, black hair and was very beautiful, a sly smile on his face. He held out the bag of food for Eiji to take. Eiji noticed that he was wearing a lot of layers, almost completely bundled up even though it seemed to be a nice temperature. 

“Are you Eiji Okumura?” he asked.

“Yeah, uh, here’s your tip,” Eiji said as he took the food, trying to hand him the money.

“There’s really no need for that,” he said waving it off.

Eiji frowned before he saw someone walk up behind the delivery person. It was the person who had been outside of Ash’s house, the blonde man.

“He said that he’s Eiji,” the delivery person said, stepping aside.

Eiji stepped back, dropping the bag of food. “Uh…”

“Oh, no,” the blonde said. “Lets go.” He grabbed Eiji’s arm and yanked him outside, shoving him in front of him.

“A-are you with Dino?” Eiji asked, tripping slightly.

“I’m surprised that he told you about him,” the blonde said. “No more questions though.”  
One of them shoved Eiji to make him start walking before he felt someone pat him down.  
“What are you doing?” Eiji asked.

The black haired one smiled when his hand landed on Eiji’s phone in his pocket, taking it out and throwing it on the sidewalk. “Wouldn’t want anyone able to find you or have you call for help.”

Eiji couldn’t believe this was happened, in broad daylight too. They made him turn down the alley next to his building before he felt a sharp pain to his head, passing out.

—

Shorter huffed as he walked up to Eiji’s building. He was lucky he only had one class that day, wanting to get back to Eiji as quick as he could. Eiji struck him as the type of person to not listen and do what he wanted.

He saw a phone on the sidewalk, not thinking much of it, mostly just wondering who was stupid enough to drop their phone.

When he found the door to Eiji’s apartment unlocked, he was mad that Eiji didn’t listen to him and most likely did it out of defiance. 

“Eiji, I only asked you lock the doors while I was out,” Shorter huffed. “You could have a least listened to me.”

He was met with silence, making him frown. He thought maybe Eiji was sleeping but when he looked in his room it was empty. He quickly looked around the room for any signs of a struggle but didn’t see any.

Shorter then ran outside, looking for Eiji’s car, which was right where it had been this morning.  
Shorter was starting to panic, knowing something happened to Eiji. He didn’t know what to do.

He looked over at the phone on the ground again and picking it up. The phone blinked to life, showing a picture of Ash asleep and drooling slightly. If Shorter hadn’t been completely panicked he would have laughed at the picture. 

This was Eiji phone then and that meant something definitely happened to him.

“Shit.”

—

Eiji woke up with a terrible headache, the pounding in his headache getting worse when he sat up. He briefly thought that he was at Ash’s but quickly realized that he didn’t recognized the room at all. It was pretty bare from what he could see, just the bed, dresser, and night stand. 

It felt like his head was swimming when he tried to get up so he just sat right back down. He was still in his clothes, just a tshirt and pajama pants, making him feel out of place.

“Oh, you’re awake,” a soft voice said, startling Eiji.

He looked over to see that delivery person smiling at him on the other side of the bed. He hadn’t noticed him before, which freaked him out more.

“Where am I?” Eiji asked

“You’re at Golzine’s place,” he said, moving a little closer to Eiji. “Arthur hit you on the head pretty hard, you’re head probably really hurts.”

Eiji nodded, wincing slightly.

“There’s some aspirin and water on the bedside table,” he said as he got up. “I’m going to go let them know you’re awake.”

Eiji watched as he left, hearing the door lock from the outside. He took the aspirin quickly, wanting the pain to go away.

What did this guy even want with him? He wasn’t a were, he was just some boring human. What was the point in getting him? 

To get back at Ash, his brain supplied. 

Eiji just got angry thinking about that. How dare he try and hurt Ash, even through him.

The room he was in didn’t even have a window, not letting him know what time of day it was. It was dark and made him feel trapped.

He felt stupid for not having listened to Shorter properly, though if they really wanted to it seemed these people would’ve taken him regardless.

He was left alone for bit, looking around for anything to try and help him out of the situation but the room was pretty bare.

Eventually the door unlocked and opened, light spilling into the room making him squint.

He recognized the person as the blonde who had creeped outside of Ash’s apartment and hit him on the head. He remembered the pretty man calling him Arthur.

“Come with me,” he said, looking almost bored.

“No way,” Eiji shook his head, wincing at the pain a little. “Why am I here?”

“Don’t make things difficult for yourself,” Arthur grunted, walking into the room to grab Eiji’s arm. He practically dragged him out into the hall, Eiji trying to pull away but was unsuccessful.

“Let me go!” Eiji yelled at him, tugging on his arm to try and get him to release.

“You’re human,” he commented, completely ignoring what Eiji had said. “What does he see in a _human_?”

There was no getting out of the hold he had on him, the man dragging him to a room down the hall. 

“There should be clothes there for you to change into,” Arthur told him, shoving him in the room. “That damn snake should be waiting for you too.”

Eiji frowned, unsure of what he was talking about, watching him close the door.

The pretty man was in the room sitting on a couch looking bored. He was still bundled up, wearing a sweater now too with a blanket draped across his lap. “They finally let the little human out of the cage.”

“What am I doing here?” Eiji demanded, stepping closer to the man.

“Well you’re here to get changed into more suitable clothing,” he smiled. He didn’t like the smile at all. “The clothes you’re wearing are awful.”

Eiji glared at the man, actually liking how comfortable they were.

“Let’s get you dressed,” the man said, getting up and going over to a closet, the blanket on the floor. “My names Yut Lung by the way.”

“I don’t really care,” Eiji grumbled, flinching when he came over and yanked his shirt over his head.

“You should be nicer,” Yut Lung hummed. “I may be the only person who’s not going to hurt you here.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Eiji asked, eyes wide. He slapped at Yut Lung’s hands when he made to pull his pants down, Eiji doing it himself.

“Well lets just say that Dino has _plans_ for you,” Yut Lung smiled.

Eiji didn’t even register what was happening after that, his brain trying to figure out what that meant. He looked frantically around the room, trying to find something to help him but again came up with nothing.

“There, all done,” Yut Lung said, stepping back to look at him.

He had dressed Eiji in a suit, Eiji not even remembering it going on. He felt uncomfortable in it, wanting his soft pajamas back.

“Why do I have to dress in this?” Eiji asked, making a face

“You were unpresentable,” Yut Lung simply said.

Yut Lung went and knocked on the door, Arthur opening it. He went and dragged Eiji out again, Eiji looking back to see Yut Lung give him a sad smile and a wave.

He needed to leave.

“I don’t understand why you want me here,” Eiji said, trying unsuccessfully to twist his wrist out of Arthur’s grip. “Why does… why does Dino need me here?”

“You’ll see,” Arthur turned to give him a sinister smile.

They soon ended up at a door that Arthur opened up and once again pushed him inside. It was a dimly lit room, that looked extremely lavish, a large bed that was smack in the middle.

Eiji eyes widen before he turned to try and run but Arther shut the door in his face.

What did Dino even want with him? This was too much all at once. He was scared and angry about the whole situation. Scared for himself, angry because they were trying to use him to get back at Ash. But what even for? Eiji still had no clue who Dino was to Ash.

He looked in vain for something to help him again but came up short once again.

When the door opened Eiji went from terrified to angry and back to terrified in all of 2 seconds. He didn’t want to think of what he was going to do to him.

Dino came through the door, Eiji able to see Arthur still outside glaring at him.

“Distressed human stench is the worst smell, stop it,” Dino snapped at Eiji.

Eiji went rigid, not knowing how to even do what he was asking him.

“You’re not to my… liking anyways so you don’t really have to worry,” Dino sneered at him. “Though, if you turn out to be an omega then that might change how I see you.”

Eiji’s eyes widened in terror, stumbling back slightly. Did he mean to… change him? He wouldn’t do something like that, right?

“What are-what are you talking about?” Eiji stumbled over his words. “You’re not-“

“Going to change you?” Dino interrupted. “Oh, of course I am. I’ll take that opportunity away from that little lion who probably desperately wants you to be a were like him.”

He knew that of course Ash wanted to be with him, it was obvious. Eiji wanted to be with him too. But not like this. He didn’t want Dino to come anywhere hear him.

Dino walked up to Eiji, who walked backward until he fell onto the bed, trying to scramble away.

“Just relax,” he told him. “It won’t hurt.” He could tell from the look in his eyes he was lying.

Eiji squeezed his eyes shut as he felt something grab his collar, not wanting to see what was going to happen. When he felt the bite on his neck, it was like a sharp stinging pain that went through him. He felt teeth break his skin, blood most likely coating the mans teeth.

Eiji cried out in pain, trying to shove him off but he wasn’t able too.

When Dino finally moved away from him, Eiji felt himself collapse into the bed, not realizing that Dino had been holding him up.

“You’ll probably be in pain for a few days,” Dino told him, grabbing a clothe that Eiji hadn’t seen to wipe the blood from his mouth. “Just enough time for your lovely lion to get here.”

“He’s… he’s in rut right now,” Eiji managed to get out. “He’s not coming.” He felt like his whole body was on fire, just wanting to curl into a ball.

“That’s true,” Dino nodded. “We’ll just have to wait and see what happens then.”

He left quickly, barely sparring Eiji a glance as he left. 

Eiji curled in on himself, putting a hand over the wound on his neck. It was deep and didn’t seem to want to stop bleeding.

He knew he should probably try and find something to stop it but he didn’t want to move. His head hurt and now his entire body just felt like it was trying to kill him.

He heard muffled talking outside the door before it was opened, Yut Lung coming in.

He sighed when he saw Eiji. “You dirtied the suit.”

Eiji wanted to scream at him that it was the least important thing to him.

Yut Lung walked over to him, getting on the bed and sitting next to him and placing a small box beside him. “He really did a number on you.”

Yut Lung helped Eiji to sit up but he just slumped into Yut Lung’s hold, resting his forehead on the others shoulder. “You can’t sit up maybe? I’m going to have a hard time cleaning this with you like that.”

Eiji’s entire body protested as he sat back slightly, turning so the bite wound showed to Yut Lung. He made a face when he saw it clearer, opening up his box to grab something out of it.

“This is going to sting,” he warned him before he placed something on the wound.

Eiji hissed in pain but held still, letting Yut Lung clean the wound.

“This is going to be a nasty scar,” Yut Lung commented as he was putting gauze over it. “So high up too. I doubt you’ll be able to hide it.”

He was right, he had bit him just below Eiji’s ear, making it extremely visible. He didn’t have long hair to cover it up either.

“You’re probably tired,” Yut Lung said. “I’ll change the sheets for you and then you should sleep. That way you won’t feel how much it’s going to hurt.”

Eiji let Yut Lung change the sheets in a daze, not even realizing he was putting the pajamas he had been wearing back on him. He let the other tuck him into bed, not wanting to move from the spot.

“I told you they would hurt you,” Yut Lung said softly before he left with the dirtied sheets and his things.

Eiji curled up on the bed, mindful to not put pressure on the left side of his neck where the wound was. The sheets smelled weird, unfamiliar and it just made him feel even more out of place.

Yut Lung was correct in saying he would be tired. His entire body was exhausted and hurt like nothing he had ever experienced before.

He felt completely awful, the pain making nauseous at times.

Yut Lung came and checked on him periodically. He brought him into the bathroom at one point, having to help him shower since Eiji didn’t want to stand and kept slumping down to the floor.

Eiji had no clue how long he was there, barely wanting to eat and sleeping an excessive amount. It only really felt like a few hours but one time when Yut Ling came in, he mentioned that it had been about 2 days.

He knew poor Shorter was probably mad at him, probably thinking he left out of spite and got kidnapped.

Eiji thought of Ash when he was alone, wondering if he was still in rut or if he had learned that Eiji had disappeared. He was upset that he couldn’t see Ash, after having not seen him so long. He missed him and it felt like his whole body ached to just be near Ash.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry?  
> (im not o.o)  
> please come yell at me, i welcome it :)  
> I wasn't going to have yut lung in here originally but i like really like his character so there you go, you got that little snake boy


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so I busted my butt to get another chapter out and I even had to go in on my day off today and I was still able to finish a chapter way faster then I thought. AND you'll probably get another update later in the week because I have like half the next chapter written I think  
> The reason I busted my butt to get this out was because of the lovely KuroCiel- so this is for youuuu, I love ya, you're great XD  
> I did not realize that this fic was gonna be this longgggg but I enjoy writing it so much :)
> 
> The first bit is going back about a day, the rest is present  
> Hope you enjoy :)

Eiji had been missing a full day before Shorter made the decision to tell Ash. He had no clue where Dino might have him but he had a feeling that Ash might know. He knew he’d be furious, beyond furious even. Shorter felt like he couldn’t do the one thing that Ash had asked him to do and he had even moved in with Eiji temporarily to make sure he was safe. Ash had trusted Eiji with him and he broke that trust.

When Shorter went back to his apartment, there was another bouquet from Dino outside the door. Shorter didn’t even give it a second look, kicking it lightly out of the way and unlocking the door.  
He put his hand over his nose, the smell so strong in the apartment from Ash. He quickly went around and opened up windows to help air it out. 

When he got to Ash’s closed door, he felt dread go through him. He didn’t want to tell his best friend he had gotten his freaking _soulmate_ kidnapped and interrupt him during his rut.

Shorter knocked first but after no response, he opened the door. It felt like he was getting smacked in the face with Ash’s scent.

Luckily it seemed that Ash was asleep, curled up under a pile of blankets and clothing.

“Ash?” Shorter asked quietly.

The pile moved slightly but didn’t respond.

“Ash, please wake up and get out of there,” Shorter said.

He heard a growl from the pile before Ash sat up. His hair looked like a tangled mess and he looked completely exhausted as well as shirtless though Shorter should have expected that.

“What?” Ash asked, his voice hoarse.

Shorter smelled the change in Ash’s scent. It smelled territorial and angry now, instead of like he was in the middle of his rut. He took a step back, knowing Ash was probably angry at being interrupted. 

“I’m sorry,” Shorter said quickly. “I’m so sorry Ash.”

Ash frowned. “Okay. Why did you interrupt me?”

“It’s Eiji, he’s….” Shorter bit his lip, not even wanting to say it but he knew he had too. “He’s missing.”

Ash blinked before he let out a snarl, making Shorter stumble backwards out of the room. Ash got out of the bed to stalk toward his friend, completely naked. He was growling low in throat, making Shorter feel uneasy.

Shorter put his hand over his eyes, blushing slightly. “Please put some clothes on Ash!”

Ash didn’t seem to care, stomping over to stand angrily in front of Shorter.

“What do you mean he’s missing?” Ash snapped at him.

Shorter knew this part was going to make Ash even more furious but he wasn’t going to lie about it. “After I came home from class yesterday he was gone and I found his phone on the street and I have no clue where he could be.”

Even though Shorter still had his hand over his eyes, he could smell how mad Ash probably looked.

“ _Yesterday_?” Ash practically screamed. “He’s been missing for a day and you’re only just telling me now?”

Yeah, Ash was angry. There was no doubt about that.

“Ash, I’m sorry,” Shorter said, feeling completely awful about losing Eiji. “I didn’t want you doing something stupid during your rut so I didn’t want to interrupt you but I had to. I’m so sorry. I just don’t even know where to look for him.”

Ash left out a frustrated noise, Shorter hearing him walk back into his room. He peeked his eyes open, seeing Ash putting on clothes.

“I have no clue where he even is,” Ash said, sounding upset, coming out of his room once he was dressed.

“Are you going to try and leave?” Shorter asked, frowning.

“Yes, I’m going to try and look for Eiji,” Ash said matter of factly.

“You still stink of rut!” Shorter yelled at him as he started walking towards the door. “You can’t _leave_.”

“I have to find him,” Ash snapped at Shorter. “Because _you_ lost him!”

Shorter stopped following him, trying not to take what Ash said to heart. He knew he was hormonal still and worried about Eiji. “Fine but I’m coming with. It’s my fault you have to do this anyways.”

Ash opened the front door to see the flowers that had been delivered from Dino. 

“Gross, are these from him?” Ash asked, grabbing the card inside. He opened it to read it briefly before he showed Shorter.

It just said-

_I look forward to seeing you_

With an address below that.

Ash was shaking with anger before he kicked the vase down the hall, the flowers and water going everywhere.

“That sadistic fucker,” Ash spit out. “I’m going to kill him.”

—

Yut Lung woke Eiji up rather rudely at one point, actually kicking the other out of the bed.

Eiji cried out as he fell, having not expected that. He sat up on the floor to look up at Yut Lung, who was staring down at Eiji from the bed.

“What?” Eiji asked groggily. 

“Get up and put some fresh clothes on,” Yut Lung said, throwing clothes on the bed before walking off it. He wrinkled his nose at Eiji, walking even farther away from him.

“What, Dino’s not going to keep me locked in here forever?” Eiji huffed, standing up on weak legs.  
Yut Lung gave him a look, crossing his arms.

Eiji sighed, knowing he wasn’t going to get a lot out of him. He started undressing to put the new clothes on. They were simple this time, just a t-shirt and jeans making him think he wasn’t going to see Dino.

As he was putting the shirt on, he was taken aback by a smell coming from the room that he hadn’t noticed before. He pulled the shirt down, sniffing and trying to figure out where it was coming from. It wasn’t until he looked at Yut Lung, who looked mildly annoyed, did he realize that it was coming from him. It was a sweet almost calming scent, something he hadn’t smelled on the other before and he had spent a good amount of time with him now.

“What?” Yut Lung snapped, looking almost angry with how long Eiji was staring at him.

“Are you wearing perfume?” Eiji asked, the only thing he could think of.

Yut Lung frowned. “No. Remember? You were turned.”

Eiji blinked, suddenly remembering that and reaching up to touch the gauze covered mark on his neck. It still hurt and he didn’t like to look at it or even think of it.

He had been turned, he was a were now. A small part of him was excited to know what kind he would be but he was being held captive at some creeps house and that took precedence over wanting to know.

“Yeah, yeah, I know it’s a lot to take in,” Yut Lung said. “But hurry up and get your clothes on.”

Eiji did, making faces when he could smell odd scents coming from them.

“What kind are you?” Eiji asked, curious.

“That’s not really important,” Yut Lung said, looking away from Eiji. 

Eiji sighed, letting the other escort him out of the room only to be handed directly to Arthur who was still waiting outside.

Eiji wanted to almost vomit when he smelled Arthur’s scent. It was strong and almost too much for him to breath in. The only thing he could relate his scent to was anger and almost distain maybe. So when Arthur once again reached for Eiji’s arm, he stumbled back, not wanting that scent anywhere near him.

“Stop being a baby,” Arthur snapped at him. 

Eiji refused to let Arthur touch him, telling him he would follow behind him.

“Where are we going?” Eiji asked Arthur, noticing Yut Lung was nowhere to be found now.  
Arthur didn’t respond to Eiji’s question, just kept walking.

Arthur brought Eiji to a dining room, Dino sitting at the head of the large table eating.  
“Sit,” Dino told him.

Eiji then noticed there seemed to be a place setting near Dino, which Arthur pushed him towards before walking out of the room. He tentatively sat down and just stared at the food in front of him.

“I’m not hungry,” Eiji told Dino, frowning. Just as he said this, his stomach rumbled. He hadn’t had much to eat in the days he was out of it, Yut Lung having to force him to eat sometimes.

“Eat,” Dino said. “I’m not asking twice.”

Eiji sighed before picking up the fork and poked at the food on the place.

It was silent for a bit, Eiji still poking at his food while Dino ate.

“Here I thought that the little human would just be a beta,” Dino cut through the silence, setting his silverware down. He got up and walked behind Eiji, gently running his fingertips on Eiji’s cheek before giving his cheek a light smack. “Not a helpless omega.”

Eiji flinched away from the touch, covering his nose. He could smell Dino now and to him it smelled putrid, almost like rotting flesh. He wanted to get away from it and never have to be anywhere near it again.

Eiji felt conflicted. He was scared of this man but he also felt such anger toward him, the feelings conflicting and making his stomach turn.

Eiji scooted away from Dino in his chair, looking at the man. Before he could stop himself from asking he blurted out a question he didn’t know if he wanted an answer. “What did you do to Ash?”

Dino paused, turning to look at Eiji with a glare. “I did nothing to that boy. He had the audacity to present as an alpha after all I did for him. He did that to me.”

The answer just made Eiji even more confused.

After Dino had left Eiji was brought back to the room again having not eaten anything. He made a face when he caught the scent of something that was familiar but he didn’t necessarily like. He quickly realized it was himself that he could smell in the room, weirding him out.

He sat on the bed, leaning back against the wall and staring at the door.

He didn’t wait a particularly long time before Yut Lung came back in the room. He accidentally swung the door open, Eiji able to see a large hyena laying on the floor just outside the room. His eyes widened as he made eye contact with it. It had dark stripes going up it’s sides, contrasting with the dirty blonde of the rest of the coat.

It growled lowly at Eiji before Yut Lung closed the door in it’s face, smirking back at it.

“W-who was that?” Eiji squeaked. 

“Arthur,” Yut Lung waved him off. “It doesn’t really matter. I’m back to check up on you.”  
Eiji made a face but let Yut Lung carefully remove the gauze from his neck, sort of poking at it and making Eiji hiss.

“Calm down,” Yut Lung huffed before putting something on the bite and wrapping it back up. “It’s healing fine I guess. I’m not a doctor or anything. They just make me check on you.”

“That makes me feel so much better,” Eiji sassed back, the other glaring at him.

“You know, you should be nice to me,” Yut Lung said, sort of sticking his nose in the air like he was better then Eiji.

Eiji just gave him a look. “And why is that?”

Yut Lung leaned in uncomfortably close, his lips almost on Eiji’s ear and whispered, “Because I’m gonna help your little boyfriend get you out of here.”

Eiji shot backwards, his back almost hitting the wall. “What do you mean? And he’s not my boyfriend.”

“He definitely is,” Yut Lung snorted. “And I meant what I said. So don’t be too scared here, okay?”

Yut Lung patted Eiji’s knee before getting up and leaving, revealing Arthur again who had his lips back in a snarl as he watched Yut Lung leave, his hair raised on his back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys for your suggestions for Arthur, I loved all of them. I really liked the hyena idea (clearly)
> 
> Oh! And I'm curious what you guys think Eiji will be, I already know what I want him to be but I'm just curious about what ya'll think :) I know someone said a squirrel I think? That'd be freaking adorable


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My schedule is all f-ed up this week and it's really messing with my head. But here you go!  
> Hope you enjoy :)

“I don’t see how the fuck we’re even going to get in there unannounced,” Shorter grumbled, staring at the large house that was basically a mansion. 

They were at the address on the card from Ash’s flowers, trying to figure out how to get inside. It was heavily guarded by weres, who no doubt would have a good enough nose to smell them out if they got too close. They were across the street trying to figure out how they were going to get in, hiding in an alley.

“Well, maybe we just go in announced,” Ash huffed, leaning against a wall.

“No way in hell are we doing that,” Shorter snapped. “We are not going to give you right back to that man. No way is that even on the table.”

Ash glared at Shorter, but didn’t say anything. 

Shorter could tell he was twitchy and agitated, though whether that was from the rut or from the fact that Dino currently had Eiji he didn’t know. He could still smell his rut on Ash, not liking that they were out in the open.

“Look, two little kitties,” a soft voice said from behind them.

Both Shorter and Ash whipped around to see a rather beautiful person smirking at them. He had long braided hair, that he was twirling with his finger.. 

Shorter took a deep breath in, able to smell that this was an omega snake. He could also smell another scent on him, quickly recognizing it as Eiji but it was faint.

He walked closer to them, eyeing Ash carefully who looked angry.

“Why do you smell like Eiji?” Ash snapped. “Do you work for Dino?”

He stopped walking when Ash growled, though glared at him slightly. “I don’t necessarily work for him, no.”

“Are you the one that kidnapped Eiji?” Shorter asked tentatively.

“Yes,” he said bluntly, surprising both Ash and Shorter with his honesty. “And I’ll help you get Eiji out.”

They both blinked at the snake, completely taken back by that.

“Why?” Ash asked. He seemed apprehensive, Shorter noticed. Though he had the right to be, they couldn't just trust this person.

He flicked his braid behind his back, giving Ash a look. “He shouldn’t be anywhere near them anymore. I want to help you get him away from them since he didn’t deserve this. Meet me here tomorrow morning,” he said. With that he left rather fast, walking straight toward the mansion, the guards letting him go right on in.

The two were left taken aback by the statement. 

Shorter didn’t think he’d want to help them, let alone that he seemed to feel bad for Eiji.

—

By the time the next morning came, Ash was even more antsy then the day before. This time Shorter knew for sure it was because of the fact that he was anxious to get Eiji. It seemed his rut had passed finally, his scent finally returning to normal.

“I don’t like this,” Ash huffed as they made their way back to the alley. “This is too easy.”

“Well… he seems at least concerned about Eiji,” Shorter said. “That’s a good thing.”

“If he’s hurt Eiji at all, I’ll kill him too,” Ash grumbled.

Like he had promised, the snake was waiting for them at the alley. Shorter noticed the sweater he was wearing was too big, the sleeves seeming to go just past his finger tips, finding it cute as he fiddled with the ends.

“Follow me,” he hummed, walking them straight at the entrance. 

At first, Shorter was extremely concerned about the fact that he was just going to walk them through the entrance but then he realized there was absolutely no one in sight.

“Why is it so empty?” Ash snapped, clearly cranky.

“It’s almost always deserted this early in the mornings,” the snake shrugged.

Shorter didn’t necessarily trust this person but he was trying to think positive about everything. Everything felt too easy, just being able to walk right up to the mansion though.

“What’s your name anyways?” Shorter asked, following behind the man.

“Yut Lung,” he said softly before he opened the front door. “I truly do want Eiji to get out of here. He’s definitely suffered enough I think. I want him out of here before Dino decides to do something else to him. And I’m very sorry.”

Shorter frowned before chaos seemed to erupt from around them, people coming at them from all angles. They couldn’t have been able to smell them because there was so many scents intermingling around them from all the people that passed through.

Ash threw a huge fit, actually biting someone before they were able to barely restrain him.

Shorter managed to see Yut Lung sneak off quickly, looking back quickly at Shorter with a solemn look.

Once they managed to get a hold of Ash and Shorter, they tied their hands behind their backs, escorting them into a different room, one that looked like a study.

Ash was fighting against the men each step, kicking and growling at them. Shorter finally giving in and walking with them, though he was angry that the snake brought them right into Dino’s little trap. He was mad that he did it and mad that they believed he would help them get Eiji out.

Shorter flinched back when he saw who was in the room, looking over at Ash who had quieted down some and was staring daggers into Dino, who was standing on the opposite end of the room.

“Ah, our little lion has finally arrived,” Dino hummed, walking up to him. “Someone go get our little present for him.”

—

Eiji was surprised when he heard Arthur leave his watch duties, hearing the man swearing about something outside his door before he heard footsteps walk away. Mere minutes later the door to his room swung open, revealing Yut Lung. 

“Come on,” Yut Lung motioned for Eiji to follow him.

Eiji scoffed, still not quite trusting the man regardless of the fact that he was the one ‘nursing’ him back to health. “Where are we going now? I’m sick of going everywhere Dino wants me too.”

Yut Lung made a face, going into the room to grab Eiji’s wrist. His fingers were cold as he pulled Eiji out of the room. “We’re getting you out of here.”

Eiji stumbled behind Yut Lung as he was dragged out of the room and down the hall. They heard foot steps from somewhere, Yut Lung turning away from them for the most part, leading Eiji away.

“Why are you helping me?” Eiji asked. “I thought you said you were going to help Ash get me out of here.”

Yut Lung didn’t say anything, just stopped at the top of a set of stairs, listening for anyone. Once he deemed it okay, they went down, Eiji grumbling about how Yut Lung wasn’t listening to him.

They made it down to what was probably the first floor, the first time Eiji was actually able to see outside, realizing it was during the day at some point.

They ran until they found a door, Yut Lung leading them outside.

“You have to tell me where Ash is,” Eiji said. “You told me that you were going to help Ash get in here to save me and he’s not here. Explain.”

Yut Lung made a face at Eiji. “I just got you out of there. You could at least be grateful for that and stop whining for your boyfriend.”

“If you’d tell me where he is, I wouldn’t be whining!” Eiji yelled, frustrated. 

“How about you say thank you?” Yut Lung snapped. 

“Hey!” someone screamed from behind them, making both of them turn to see Arthur stomping over to them, furious.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Arthur yelled at Yut Lung who just stared at him. “Dino wants Eiji. Now.”

Yut Lung took at step in front of Eiji, giving Arthur a look. “He’s not going back in there.”

“Like hell you have a say in that,” Arthur growled, shoving past Yut Lung to grab Eiji’s arm and start to drag him back inside.

Yut Lung produced a pare of handcuffs from seemingly nowhere, handcuffing Arthur to the door handle.

“What the hell?” Arthur yelled, yanking his wrist. 

“Come on, Eiji,” Yut Lung grabbed Eiji again, pulling him along. “We have to go now.”

“You’re really going to just leave without your little boyfriends?” Arthur snarked at them.

Eiji ripped his arm away from Yut Lung, going back to Arthur, though careful to not get close. “What did you say?”

“Oh, he didn’t tell you?” Arthur hummed. “They’re inside with Dino.”

Eiji felt suddenly furious at Yut Lung, regardless of the fact that he was trying to help him escape. “How could you not tell me he was here?”

“He’ll be fine,” Yut Lung said, though looked a little unsure. “I needed to use them as a distraction to get you out.”

Eiji wanted to beat the look off of Yut Lung face, stomping back inside but not before Yut Lung grabbed him again. He was getting really sick of people man handling him.

“Eiji, you can’t,” Yut Lung told him, worry in his eyes. 

“I’m not leaving Ash or Shorter with that man,” Eiji snapped. "I need to help them"

“Then I’m sorry I have to do this,” Yut Lung said softly before he flicked his wrist near Eiji’s neck. Eiji felt a light sting before he fell unconscious.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I tried writing Ash's gang into the story but I just don't have a good grasp on them really? I've only seen the anime and while I really like them I just couldn't do it naturally so no gang :(
> 
> And I'm just gonna say I'm sorryyyyy I made Yut Lung betray them :(
> 
> Also, if you hadn't seen and are interested, I wrote a short thing about Yut Lung's perspective. It's called Honey, I'm gonna make it out alive 
> 
> I'll probably continue it too, especially if people are interested


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've had bits of this chapter written for a while, the end basically since I started writing this so this was a lot easier to write  
> I hope you guys enjoy :)
> 
> Also near the end, Ash talks about what Dino did to him but I kept it kind of vague. I just wanted to warn you, we all know what that nasty perv did

“He’s not in his room, sir,” one of Dino’s men came back, telling him.

Shorter felt like he could feel the anger rolling off of Dino when the man said that.

“How could you idiots lose a person?” Dino yelled at them.

“We don’t know what happened,” he said. “Arthur was posted outside the room but he’s not there and we can’t find him.”

“I doubt he was the one that let him escape,” Dino scoffed. “Now get out of my sight before I get mad.”

The man bowed slightly before making a hasty retreat.

“Looks like your little present won’t be arriving,” Dino hummed as he went up to Ash who glared at him.

“Where the hell is Eiji?” Ash growled. “You didn’t have to do _kidnap_ him in order to get me.”

“Well clearly I did because it wasn’t until then that you came to see me,” Dino said, placing a hand on Ash’s cheek.

Ash jerked away from his touch but there wasn’t anywhere to go, Dino grabbing his chin to make him look at him.

“You spoiled little brat,” Dino growled. “I still haven’t forgiven you for what you did.”

Ash growled lowly at Dino. “Is that seriously why you wanted me here? To yell at me about that?”

As Shorter watched them talk, he was trying to maneuver his wrists out of the binding they had them in but they were tight. It felt like every time he twisted one wrist the other would tighten some, making it difficult to get out of.

“I gave you everything and you have the audacity to become an alpha,” Dino told him.

“It’s not something I could have chosen to not be,” Ash snarked back. “Besides, I’d gladly be an alpha rather then one of your omegas.”

Dino slapped him hard enough to make him fall to the floor, unable to catch himself.

Shorter took a step towards Ash, worried but was roughly pulled back by someone.

Ash struggled to sit up but eventually managed too, glaring at Dino.

“Go find that boy,” Dino told the other men in the room. “And take this one elsewhere. Aslan and I need some alone time.”

Ash made a face of disgust, looking down at the ground.

“No, wait-“

“Shut up,” a man interrupted Shorter, taking him by the arm and dragging him out of the room.

“What the fuck?” Shorter yelled, mad about being taken away from Ash. If everything Ash said about that man was true, he knew he didn’t exactly have anything nice for Ash planned.

“Just shut up,” the man said again. “It’ll only make it easier for you.”

Shorter made an aggravated noise, but followed the man.

They were rounding a corner when the man suddenly collapsed to the ground, startling Shorter. It wasn’t until he turned the corner completely did he see Yut Lung standing there staring down at the man in boredom.

“They make it so easy,” he hummed.

“You!” Shorter yelled, angry. “You betrayed us.”

He smirked, clearly pleased with himself.

Shorter wanted to punch the smirk right off his beautiful pale face.

“How could you-“

“Just save it, okay?” Yut Lung interrupted, holding a hand up. “I actually want to thank you. With the distraction I was able to get Eiji out of here.”

Shorter blinked, now completely confused. “You actually wanted to help him?”

“Yes, he doesn’t belong here,” Yut Lung frowned. “That dumbass lion should have known better when he decided to like him.”

“Well, they are soulmates,” Shorter told him. 

“I don’t care,” Yut Lung said, walking behind Shorter. “Let me get you out of these.”

Shorter flinched when he felt cold fingers untying the bindings, rubbing his wrists when they were free. “Uh, thanks.”

“You’re welcome,” Yut Lung said. “How do you propose we get Ash out of here?”

Shorter was even more confused now. “What? First you kidnap Eiji, then you help him escape, now you want to help me and Ash escape? Why?”

Yut Lung didn’t say anything, just turned and started walking the way that Shorter had come.

“Hey, you could at least answer me,” Shorter said, catching up with the other.

“I don’t have to justify myself to you of all people,” Yut Lung scoffed. He seemed to have a light blush on his face though, Shorter finding it cute.

“How did you knock that guy out, by the way?” Shorter asked, pointing back.

Yut Lung produced a needle, waved it around a second before putting it somewhere. “He just took a kind of nap.”

“…right.”

“How are we getting Ash away from Dino and out of here?” Yut Lung asked again, stopping at the end of the hall.

Shorter made a face. “I feel like just getting him away from Dino isn’t even enough anymore. He’s just going to keep coming back.”

Yut Lung produced a knife from literally no where, showing it Shorter. “I can kill him.”

“ _What_? That shouldn’t be what you go to right away!” Shorter yelled at him.

Yut Lung looked like he was almost pouting. “Fine. What do you propose we do then?”

“I… I don’t know,” Shorter shook his head.

They started to walk again, eventually finding the entrance to the mansion, completely deserted. They were probably out trying to find Eiji.

“Hey, where is Eiji?” Shorter asked, concerned now.

“He’s gone,” Yut Lung said. “They can’t find him.”

“That’s not really reassuring,” Shorter sighed.

“Listen, kitten,” Yut Lung said, pointing a finger in Shorter face. “I was able to get him out safely while you two were held captive. I don’t want any snark from you.”

Shorter actually blushed at the name though snarked back, “My name isn’t kitten, it’s Shorter. And it’s your fault that we were captured.”

Yut Lung just rolled his eyes, motioning to the front door. “We could probably just leave.”

“I’m not leaving without Ash,” Shorter told him.

Yut Lung sighed.

They were trying to figure out what to do when they heard a shout coming from where Shorter thought that Ash was with Dino.

He took off in a sprint, finding the study easily and slamming the door open.

Ash was standing there, untied now and his clothes in various stages of undress, holding a broken, bloody glass bottle. Dino was on the floor, face down and a small pool of blood under him.

“Ash?” Shorter said quietly. “Are you okay?”

Ash whipped his head up to look at Shorter. “I…”

“It’s okay, Ash,” Shorter said, going over and taking the bottle from Ash’s hand.

Ash seemed visibly shaken from what he had done, staring down at the body in front of him. 

“Hey, it’s okay,” Shorter said, letting Ash sort of fall into him. He wrapped his arms around Ash and felt the other shake.

“I know this is like a lot for you but we should really go,” Yut Lung said, appearing in the doorway. “Someone else probably heard that too.”

Shorter nodded, putting an arm around Ash and walking him out of the room.

They were able to leave through the front entrance, it still being deserted.

“I’ll be back soon,” Yut Lung said. He handed something to Shorter before turning and going back into the mansion.

Shorter didn’t have time to ask him anything, Yut Lung disappearing quickly. He looked down at what he gave him, it being a keycard to a hotel with a room number written on it.

“You can let me go,” Ash said, sort of pushing Shorter away, once they were far enough from the house, unable to even see it anymore

Shorter gave him a look but nodded. He watched as Ash fixed his clothes the best he could.

“Ash, what-“

“I don’t want to talk about it,” Ash said quietly, zipping up his hoodie. “Do we know where Eiji is?”

“W-well,” Shorter said. “Yut Lung gave me this key card, hopefully he’ll be there? I don’t actually know because he didn’t tell me.”

Ash huffed.

Shorter hoped that Eiji would be there, wanting to know that his friend was okay. They walked toward where the hotel was, hearing sirens in the distance.

—

It was a struggle to actually wake up, his eyes not wanting to open and his whole body felt sluggish.  
Eiji managed to finally open his eyes, only after he didn’t recognize the scent of the room at all, it smelling of disinfectant.

He sat up, looking around. It seemed to be a hotel room, a large tv in front of him and another bed next to the one he was currently on. It wasn’t anything lush like Dino’s place had been, it seeming kind of kitsch. Had Yut Lung brought him here? He seemed too small to be able to carry him though he remembered being placed in a car but it was a very hazy memory.

His neck stung some, so he tried to get up to look at it but fell to the floor, his legs not wanting to work.

Eiji groaned, poking his legs and barely feeling anything.

He remembered Yut Lung had used something on him to get him to pass out, maybe it was still in his system? Then he remembered that Ash and Shorter were still at Dino’s. 

He needed to his legs to work, now. He had to make sure they were okay.

It was then he heard the doorknob jiggle and what sounded like swearing. 

He was terrified that maybe Arthur had escaped and followed them here. He ducked behind the bed that that was in front of him, slapping his hand over his mouth to not make a noise.

“God damn,” he heard a familiar voice say as it entered the room. “I though maybe he had given us the wrong room number.”

Eiji popped his head above the bed, eyes wide as he first saw Shorter and then Ash close behind him. 

“Eiji!” Shorter yelled happily, running over to him and picking him up in a hug.

“Hi Shorter,” Eiji laughed, patting the larger weres back. He looked over at Ash who was just staring at him with wide eyes. Eiji couldn’t quite read the expression but he was clearly upset.  
Shorter put him down then, Eiji having to sit on the bed since he still didn’t quite have feeling in his legs. Shorter gave him the same wide eyed look that Ash was giving him.

“You…”

“I’m sorry,” Eiji said, hand going up to cover the gauze on his neck. “I’m so sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry,” Ash said softly. He walked up to Eiji, gently taking his face in his hands. “Don’t be sorry for what he did.”

Eiji smiled softly. He missed hearing Ash’s voice so much, just missed having him around.

Ash gave him a small kiss, moving to sit on the bed behind him. He wrapped his arms around his middle almost protectively and rested his chin on Eiji’s shoulder, just breathing in his scent.

Shorter shuffled around a little uncomfortably but sat on the bed next to them. He grabbed the remote from the night stand, turning the tv and flipping channels.

“How did you guys manage to escape?” Eiji asked.

Ash buried his face in Eiji neck, Eiji able to tell he was shaking.

“Yut Lung helped us,” Shorter said. “He went back to the mansion though. I don’t really know where he is now.”

Eiji nodded. 

Shorter paused on a news station, frowning. “Hey, isn’t that…”

A reporter was in front of Dino’s mansion, the whole thing up in flames and fire trucks everywhere.

“What the hell?” Shorter said.

They watched the news coverage of the fire, hearing there was even people who died in the fire.

“Do you think Dino was there?” Eiji asked, staring in wonder. He felt Ash squeeze him tighter, reaching to pat the arms around him in reassurance. 

“Do… you don’t think that was the reason Yut Lung went back?” Shorter asked, laughing slightly at thinking that.

“Do you think he would do that?” Ash mumbled against Eiji.

Shorter didn’t say anything, just looked back at the tv.

Eiji leaned against Ash, happy to be with him again. He breathed in, able to take in his scent now. It was a lot to take in but he found he enjoyed the strong scent. He couldn’t quite place what he smelled like but he felt his body relax in Ash’s hold the more he breathed him in.

He could smell Shorter now too, though his scent was more subdued. Maybe due to the fact that he was a beta and not an alpha like Ash.

“Aren’t you worried Dino’s going to come looking for us?” Eiji asked.

“He won’t,” Ash said softly, kissing Eiji’s neck lightly.

Eiji frowned. “How do you know that? He’s going to be mad that his mansion was burned to the ground.”

“He won’t Eiji,” Shorter said firmly, leaning back to lay on the bed and watch the news coverage.

They watched for a bit before there was a knock on the door, Shorter getting up to see who it was, Ash and Eiji too concerned with each other.

When Shorter opened the door, Eiji recognized it as Yut Lung before even seeing the man, knowing it was him from his scent.

“Oh, you’re here,” Shorter said, letting him in.

Yut Lung didn’t say anything to him, just entered the room, seeking Eiji out immediately. “Are feeling okay Eiji?”

“Oh, I’m fine,” Eiji said quickly. “My legs are a little numb still.”

“Why are they numb?” Ash asked, glaring at Yut Lung.

Eiji was able to smell Ash’s anger, still finding it strange that he could do that now.

“It’s nothing,” Eiji said quickly, trying to get Ash to calm down.

“The drug I used to make Eiji unconscious probably made him a little numb,” Yut Lung shrugged.

Eiji felt and heard Ash growl at Yut Lung, clearly mad that he did that.

“It’s okay,” Eiji said, twisting in the hold Ash had him in. “I’m fine, really.”

Ash made a face but nodded when Eiji patted his cheek.

“Well, I’m glad you’re okay,” Yut Lung said, sitting on the edge of the bed.

Ash rumbled angrily at Yut Lung until he got up and moved onto the other bed, Shorter going to sit back on that bed too.

“Did you burn down the mansion?” Shorter asked, practically vibrating with how much he wanted to know.

“Yes,” Yut Lung nodded. “I made sure to get rid of the evidence too.”

Eiji blinked. “ _Evidence_? What evidence?”

“Well-“

“It’s nothing Eiji,” Ash snapped, glaring at Yut Lung still.

Eiji was frustrated that Ash was clearly keeping something from him but didn’t press the matter.

They didn’t stay in the hotel room long, just until Eiji got feeling back in his legs. They went back to Ash and Shorter’s apartment, Yut Lung trailing along behind them.

When Yut Lung came up to the apartment with them, Ash snapped at him.

“Why are you even here?” Ash growled at him. “You don’t belong here.”

“Ash, it’s fine,” Eiji quickly. “He got me out of there.”

“It’ll be okay,” Shorter laughed nervously, trying to appease Ash. “Thank you for everything Yut Lung.”

Yut Lung made a face, going and sitting on the couch and crossing his arms. “Whatever, it’s freezing in here. Can you turn the heat on?”

Ash’s eye twitched. “No, we can’t because it’s not that cold.”

“I’ll get you a blanket!” Shorter said, running to his room and grabbing one to give Yut Lung.

Yut Lung made a face at it but accepted it. Shorter went and closed the windows that were still open from when Ash was in rut.

Ash dragged Eiji into his room, closing the door. Eiji noticing his nest was still there, a complete mess in his eyes.

“Ash, I’m sorry that Dino-“

“Please don’t apologize,” Ash interrupted. He reached out and pulled Eiji into an embrace. “I’m the one that should be apologizing to you. You don’t deserve this.”

Eiji didn’t know what it was but he felt safe in Ash’s arms. Maybe it was that feeling of finally being safe but he felt the weight of everything that had happened in the last few days just come crashing down on him and he felt tears in his eyes, spilling over before he was able to stop himself.

He hiccuped a sob, Ash pulling him away slightly to look at Eiji. “No, please don’t cry. Eiji, I’m so sorry.”

Eiji wanted to say something to try and reassure Ash but he couldn’t get anything out, only able to let the tears roll down his cheeks.

Ash tried wiping them off with his sleeve but they were coming too fast. “It’ll be okay Eiji. I promise. I’m so sorry that this happened to you.”

Eiji let Ash pull him back into his embrace, releasing a calming scent to try and sooth Eiji. Ash eventually pulled him into his bed, wrapping blankets around him.

Eiji cried until he couldn’t anymore, just sniffling now.

“Ash, you don’t deserve anything bad that’s happened to you either,” Eiji managed to say, sniffling grossly.

“Eiji-“

“I don’t want to know necessarily what Dino did to you,” Eiji interrupted. “You can tell me that when you’re ready. Or not. But you didn’t deserve it.”

Ash didn’t say anything, burying his face in Eiji’s chest. Eiji smiled, running his fingers through the mess that was Ash’s hair. His eyes felt puffy and gross but he just tried to relax with Ash.

They fell asleep eventually, both of them completely exhausted.

—

Eiji woke up to soft sobs next to him, knowing immediately it was Ash. He was able to smell the distress in his scent.

He wrapped his arms around the other, Ash flinching before relaxing into the touch.

“Are you okay?” Eiji asked.

“I’m sorry,” Ash sniffled. “I just… I started to panic and I don’t know. I couldn’t stop myself.”

“It’s okay,” Eiji hummed, rubbing Ash’s back. “Ash, it’s okay to cry.”

It was dark out now, Eiji unable to see Ash’s expression since he buried his face back in Eiji’s chest. He felt the tears soak through his shirt, wanting to find it gross but just letting Ash cry it out.

Ash eventually stopped crying, Eiji realizing that Ash fell asleep.

He got up, needing to go to the bathroom. His wound itched, Eiji rubbing at the gauze.

He was going back to Ash’s room when he looked and saw Yut Lung on the couch, sleeping. He still had his braid in, looking slept in. He seemed peaceful like that, in sleep. He was wrapped in blankets galore, Shorter having probably given them to him.

He wondered briefly what he was even still doing here but tried not to think much of it, going back to lay down with Ash.

Ash grumbled when the bed dipped with Eiji’s return but curled around him, burying his nose in Eiji’s hair, Eiji giggling slightly.

That woke Ash up, poking at Eiji’s cheek.

“Ash, don’t do that,” Eiji whined, slapping his hand away.

Ash laughed lightly, moving to give Eiji a quick kiss. “I missed you Eiji.”

“I missed you too,” Eiji said, kissing Ash’s nose.

They were quiet for a while, curled up with each other.

Ash eventually got twitchy, like he wanted to say something but Eiji didn’t say anything. If Ash wanted to say something, Eiji would let him when he wanted to.

Ash sighed, moving to bury his face in Eiji’s chest again. “Did you know I’ve known Dino since I was a kid?”

“No,” Eiji said softly, rubbing Ash’s back. He didn’t press, not wanting Ash to get upset.

“Yeah, I’ve known him since I was young,” Ash said quietly, wrapping his arms around Eiji a little tighter. “I used to see him whenever I would walk to school, he’d be outside drinking coffee or tea or whatever on his patio. He eventually started talking to me. He seemed… nice I guess. I don’t know but he would give me little gifts.”

Eiji listened quietly, kissing the top of Ash’s head.

“I didn’t really think too much of it until I mentioned it to my brother,” Ash said. “He told me I wasn’t allowed to go near him anymore, now walking me on a different route to school. One day he couldn’t walk me because of some reason or another and… Dino was there, telling me that he was going to give me something nice since he hadn’t seen me for so long.” Ash scoffed, pausing his story. “I was so stupid. Telling you this now, I should have known better.”

“You were a kid,” Eiji said softly. “He shouldn’t have taken advantage of you like that.”

Ash just grumbled. “Either way, he took me. He took me to his house and… well he thought that I was going to be an omega apparently.”

Eiji bit his cheek, not wanting to say anything yet.

“I was there for… I don’t really know how long,” Ash continued. “It’s a big blur but he would always tell me how much better it would be when I presented as an omega when he… Well I never presented as one and when I presented as an alpha, he was… not happy, to say the least. He…”

“You don’t have to tell me anything you don’t want to,” Eiji reassured him, squeezing him slightly.

“He made me wear these like, scent blocker things,” Ash said after a moment. “They made me itch, I hated them. Eventually the police found out that I was there, my brother having told them what I had about Dino. They raided the place and found me but apparently there were also… uh, others there. Despite the fact that they had all this evidence to get him to go to jail, he didn’t. I guess he paid off the judge. I was so mad. I was terrified. He…”

“Shh,” Eiji said, rubbing his nose against Ash’s hair, tickling slightly.

“He’s not going to bother us anymore though,” Ash said quietly. 

Eiji was silent, thinking about what that implied. 

“I’m sorry,” Ash said softly. “I’m sorry that you got involved in any of this.”

Eiji ‘shushed’ Ash again, pulling him up to kiss him softly. “Don’t say that. I’m so glad to have met you, even if this was kind of… I felt awful when I couldn’t see you though, I missed you so badly.”

“I did too,” Ash hummed, his lips moving against Eiji’s.

“Gross,” they heard from the doorway. 

That was when Eiji realized that he hadn’t closed the door when he had came back from the bathroom. They looked over to see Yut Lung standing there with a bored expression on his face, staring at the two of them.

Ash sat up, growling. “It’s not a fucking peep show.”

Yut Lung snorted before closing the door for them.

Ash flopped back down, groaning. “Why is he still here?”

“It’s fine,” Eiji said softly. “He actually helped me out a lot.”

“He kidnapped you,” Ash said bluntly. “And you’re saying it’s okay?”

“He didn’t technically kidnap me,” Eiji told Ash. “That was more Arthur. He’s the one that hit me over the head.”

“He _what_?” Ash growled, angry.

“It’s fine, Ash,” Eiji huffed, trying to hug the anger away from Ash.

“It still don’t like it,” Ash grumbled.

They couldn’t fall asleep after that, Ash getting his laptop out and putting on something for the two of them to watch since it was still the middle of the night. Ash placed the laptop on the night stand next to the bed, facing the two of them. Ash spooned Eiji from behind, kissing his shoulder every so often.

They stayed like that for a while, Eiji drifting in and out of sleep. He felt Ash sniffing at his neck sometimes, kissing near the gauze.

“What are you doing?” Eiji eventually asked, turning to look at him.

Ash was blushing slightly, trying to look away from Eiji.

“Ash,” Eiji said warningly, poking his stomach.

Ash laughed, batting at Eiji’s hand.

“You smell so different,” Ash hummed, rubbing his nose against Eiji’s.

Eiji giggled, kissing Ash softly. “What do you mean?”

“Well, you definitely don’t smell human anymore,” Ash told him, running his hand down Eiji’s back until he got to the edge of his shirt, fiddling with it. “You smell almost like a little kid kind of, like one that hasn’t presented but is going to soon.”

Eiji just laughed at that.

“You also smell really nice,” Ash said, breathing him in.

Eiji let himself breath Ash in, smelling his strong scent. It was so calming and reassuring to him, he loved it. It was quickly becoming one of his favorites scents.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In the next chapter you'll find out what Eiji is I swear!  
> I hope my snake boi redeemed himself a little. I'll probably upload another part of [Honey, I'm gonna make it out alive](https://archiveofourown.org/works/16196228%22) later today if you're interested in Yut Lung's perspective :)


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry this took longer to come out, there's just suddenly been so much that has happened family wise. I even had most of this finished but I didn't have the energy to even look at it. So... I'm so sorry :(  
> I want to say though, once again, that you've all been so great and your comments and kudos are a treasure :)

Eiji woke the next morning still feeling exhausted. He didn’t want to get up, just wanted to lay with Ash who was sleeping soundly.

As he sat up in bed, rubbing his eyes of sleep, he realized it smelled heavily of Ash. Eiji thought briefly about how to let his scent out. He didn’t really know how it worked and was slightly curious.

Eiji was frowning at the bed, trying to figure out how he could possibly do that, when Ash woke up gasping.

Eiji was worried he had a bad dream so he immediately tried to comfort the other.

Ash smacked Eiji’s hands away, scrambling against the wall and pulling the blankets over himself as far as they would go.

“Ash?” Eiji asked tentatively. “Are you okay?”

“Am I okay?” Ash repeated. “Me? I should be asking you that!”

Eiji didn’t understand, biting his lip. Had he done something?

“You’re _scent_ , Eiji,” Ash told him, putting his hand over his nose. “D-don’t release it like that.”

Eiji had no clue he had been doing anything, giving Ash a wide eyed look. “I’m sorry, I was thinking about it but I didn’t mean too.”

Ash made a choked sound, groaning and burying further into the blankets.

They heard something bang on the wall opposite of them, making both of them jump.

“Stop having sex!” they heard Yut Lung yell at them, Shorter snickering too.

Eiji looked frantic, unsure what to do.

“Just try and relax,” Ash told Eiji. “Hopefully that’ll help.”

Eiji tried that, taking deep breaths but that seemed to make it worse. He was able to smell Ash’s scent all around him, most likely reacting to Eiji’s scent. If Eiji could place what it smelled like, he smelled almost aroused.

Ash groaned again, bringing a blanket up over his nose. “Please stop Eiji, I don’t want to do anything with those two listening.”

Eiji shut his eyes and tried to concentrate on anything else and not Ash’s scent. It seemed to help eventually, feeling Ash’s fingertips brush his arm.

“I honestly thought I was gonna jump you,” Ash laughed.

Eiji blushed, shifting a little. 

They heard another bang from Ash’s door before Shorter poked his head in, his fingers pinching his nose shut. “We want to go out for breakfast, wanna come?”

Eiji shook his head immediately, not in the mood for anything.

“No but bring me something when you get back?”Ash asked, pouting at Shorter.

Shorter glared at his friend. “Fine, but you owe me.”

Ash waved him out, Shorter shutting the door shut.

“They’re totally gonna have sex,” Shorter snickered loud enough for them to hear before he left with Yut Lung.

Eiji felt mortified. He was definitely turned on, this new were nose driving him absolutely crazy. It was just so odd to be able to pick that up from the way a person smelled.

“I want to not have sex just to shove it in there faces,” Ash huffed, still mostly in his little cocoon of blankets but still brushing his fingers against Eiji’s arm.

“We could have sex and not let them know,” Eiji suggested, half joking, mostly just teasing Ash.

Ash gave him a look before pushing Eiji down onto the bed and shuffling over him. Eiji couldn’t help but laugh, the blankets tangled around Ash.

Ash huffed, getting the blankets untangled before swooping down and kissing Eiji, promptly cutting off his laughter.

Ash licked into Eiji’s mouth, making Eiji moan softly, wrapping his arms around his neck.

Ash was trying to get Eiji out of his shirt when Eiji suddenly pushed him away.

“Wait, wait,” Eiji said quickly.

Ash sat back on Eiji, frowning down at him. “Okay?”

“I want to know what type of were I am!” Eiji said excitedly, sitting up and almost knocking Ash over.

Ash steadied himself before laughing. “Right.”

“Do you know?” Eiji asked, practically vibrating with excitement.

Ash leaned in close to Eiji again, sniffing him. “You… you smell like some type of feline, I think? I can’t tell what though. Maybe it’s because you used to be human.”

Eiji huffed, crossing his arms, thinking. “How do you shift then?”

Ash laughed again. “I don’t know how to describe it, it’s just something that I know how to do.”

Eiji pouted, wanting to know. “Well teach me how then.”

“Well aren’t you bossy,” Ash snorted, moving off Eiji to sit next to him. “The only thing I can think to say is just to trying to concentrate on it. I guess think of what you think it feels like. You’ve seen me do it.”

Eiji made a face at Ash but shut his eyes and tried to concentrate on that. It looked like it hurt when he saw Ash shift so he didn’t necessarily look forward to that but he wanted to know what he was.

“You’re going to try now?” Ash asked.

“Well I want to know,” Eiji said, sticking his tongue out at Ash.

Eiji heard Ash sigh, moving around a little.

Eiji tried, even to just let his mind go blank but he didn’t think he was getting anywhere until he felt a weird pain shoot through him. He peeked his eye open though and lost all the concentration he had, Ash giving him a reassuring look.

He shut his eyes again, trying to find that weird pain, concentrating on the way it felt before he felt like his body suddenly hurt. It felt like his bones were snapping and his skin shifting.

It didn’t take long, Eiji blinking his eyes open. He was now sprawled out on the bed on his stomach, his paws…

_Paws!_

Eiji stared at them, just blinking at the black things before stretching them out and feeling claws come out and then retract back in. 

He made a noise that sounded more like a chirp, startling him.

He looked over to see Ash staring down at him in almost wonder, a huge grin on his face.

“You’re a cat,” Ash laughed, petting Eiji’s head.

Eiji leaned into the touch, the petting feeling nice.

He managed to sit up, looking down to see his tail, his tail, curl around his small feet. 

Eiji made another noise, making Ash coo at him.

Ash picked up one of Eiji’s paws, pressing down lightly on it. Eiji let him, watching in curiosity. It definitely felt weird.

“I’m sorry, you’re just too cute,” Ash smiled. He picked Eiji up then, curling him up in his arms like a baby.

Eiji, regretfully, thought about how much he liked being able to be picked up by Ash like this.

It felt so weird to be this small, this tiny and to be picked up like it was nothing. He kind of liked it though, Ash petting and scratching behind his ears lightly. Ash gave a quick kiss to the top of Eiji’s head, making Eiji lean into that before a loud purr erupted from him, Eiji cutting it off abruptly. 

“That was adorable,” Ash said softly.

Eiji suddenly felt like he wanted to human again, wanting to actually hold and kiss Ash too. He struggled to get out of Ash’s hold, Ash letting him go and landing on his lap.

He had remembered that Ash had told him that going from animal to human didn’t hurt as much but it felt like it hurt more doing that for him. He didn’t know if it was because he was shifting from something so small to something much bigger but it hurt.

Either way, when Eiji was back in his human form, he was completely naked in Ash’s lap and blushing like crazy.

Eiji immediately grabbed one of the blankets on the bed to cover himself with. His clothes forgotten in the spot where he had shifted.

Ash was smiling at him, patting his head. “Did it hurt?”

“Yes,” Eiji said truthfully. He leaned against Ash’s chest, letting Ash hold him.

—

Eiji stayed the day at Ash’s, not wanting to really be apart from him. He made Ash clean his room to help sort out his clothes. Ash was insistent on keeping at least something, Eiji eventually letting him keep a shirt. He didn’t know why but he liked that he had something of his there.

When Shorter got back, he had food for both Eiji and Ash but he still had Yut Lung in tow. 

Ash was very loud about not wanting him there, still blaming him for Eiji’s kidnapping even though he had helped him escape.

“Why are you following us around like a parasite, just leave,” Ash huffed as he ate his waffles.  
Yut Lung didn’t respond, just left the kitchen to go into the living room.

“Ash, just let him stay here for now,” Eiji said softly. “I mean, I think he lived with Dino. He must not have many places to go.”

“I don’t care,” Ash told him. “I don’t like the idea of him here.”

“Ash, I’ll take responsibility for him for now,” Shorter piped up, sitting at the table with them. “He really doesn’t seem like a bad guy.”

Ash stared at Shorter before smirking. “You only say that because you have a crush on him.”

Shorter went red instantly before sputtering, then got up abruptly and stomped to his room where he slammed the door shut.

Ash was snickering while Eiji gave a look.

“That was mean,” Eiji said, pointing his fork at Ash.

“It’s true though,” Ash rolled his eyes. “He makes goo goo eyes whenever he looks at him.”

Eiji just sighed, continuing to eat.

—

When Eiji went back to work, Ibe wrapped him up in a hug and looked like he was about to start crying. Ibe smelled so different compared to a were, the human scent so subdued.

“I was so worried that creepy guy had stolen you!” Ibe said loudly. “I went to your apartment and there wasn’t an answer and your phone was just going straight to voicemail. Don’t do that to me again!”

Eiji patted his back. “It’s okay. I can tell you what happened over lunch or something. Later though.”

Ibe nodded, releasing Eiji from his hug.

They went out to eat after work, Eiji telling Ibe everything. He clearly was beyond upset that Dino _had_ stolen him, saying repeatedly that he should have called the cops on him. He also freaked out over the fact that Eiji was a were now, wanting to know everything. He always needed to know everything.

“So you have a soulmate,” Ibe said, leaning over the table slightly. “And now you’re a were. Does it feel different being a were and having a soulmate?”

Eiji shrugged, unsure. He hadn’t thought much about it. He definitely felt a pull towards Ash, a stronger one now that he was a were then when he was just a human. He was still so new to being a were that he didn’t know how to processes everything, people’s scents just everywhere now. 

He found out that one of their coworkers was a were, having not known that before. He couldn’t quite place what he was but he knew he was one from the scent.

“I don’t know,” Eiji finally said. “I know it’s a for sure thing with him though.”

Ibe smiled. “Well as long as your happy.”

“I’m very happy with Ash,” Eiji said, blushing slightly.

—

Yut Lung ended up moving into Eiji’s apartment even though there wasn’t a whole lot of room, the two made it work. Yut Lung was so clean compared to when he had Shorter staying with him and he loved it. It was such a nice difference.

Eiji had asked if Yut Lung had a family to go to but Yut Lung always got quiet when he asked about that so he eventually stopped.

Ash protested about Eiji letting Yut Lung live with him, saying that at least when he was at his own apartment he could keep an eye on him. Eiji didn’t really understand why Ash didn’t like Yut Lung, especially now. He seemed to be trying to just live a normal life.

Yut Lung, Eiji found out quickly, did not like Ash at all. He eventually told Eiji one night that he shouldn’t be with him.

“What?” Eiji asked, shocked. “Why not?”

“He.. he just… you should stay away from him!” Yut Lung said, not explaining himself at all. He was fussing with the end of his sweater, pulling it down and pulling at the fabric until a string came free. 

“But why?” Eiji insisted. “Ash… he’s been nothing if not good to me. It doesn’t make sense.”

Yut Lung hissed angrily, Eiji finding out that he did that in place of growling like Ash. “It was because of him that Golzine took you and turned you! He could have sold you to someone or kept you for himself! Eiji, what happened to you was not something that was good.”

Eiji placed his hand over the scar that was the bite that had turned him. Whenever Ash saw it, he got this look in his eyes like he was being torn apart from the inside out. Eiji hated seeing that look. 

“Look, I… care about Ash,” Eiji said. “I’m not leaving him because of what happened. It sucks but he’s who I’m going to be spending my life with regardless of what you think. I like you, Yut Lung, but I’m not going to let you sit there and tell me that my soulmate is a bad person when he isn’t. He went through shit and got out of it relatively all right. Now either apologize or leave.”

Yut Lung looked like he didn’t expect that Eiji to talk back, surprising him completely.

“Eiji-“

“Apologize. Or leave,” Eiji told him one more time. 

Yut Lung pulled at the end of his pony tail, looking uncertain. “I’m… I’m sorry.”

“Good,” Eiji smiled. “Was that really that hard?”

Yut Lung gave Eiji an angry look before going and laying on the couch. “Get out of my room.”

Eiji just laughed, leaving Yut Lung to be on his own.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Congratulations on those who guessed right for Eiji hehee :)  
> He's little black Halloween kitty XD


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for the slightly slower updates guys, theres just stuff going on unfortunately  
> Hope you enjoy though :)

Eiji wouldn’t admit it out loud but he was _slightly_ freaked out when he thought about being a were. He felt like things were changing for him fast and he was struggling to catch up. He had these instincts that he couldn’t quite explain though he would just have to chalk up to ‘being a were’.

He had to constantly ask Ash, Shorter or Yut Lung what was going on or the reason for it at least.

Eiji started noticing small changes in himself, things that he could only explain by the fact that he was a were now.

One thing was that he was finding ways to steal Ash’s clothes. He absolutely loved the way that Ash smelled, the strong scent that made him feel protected.

The first time it happened was just an accident. He spilled something on his shirt and Ash just gave him one of his own, letting Eiji wear it home. He ended up sleeping in that shirt for the next few nights, Yut Lung giving him looks.

The second time it happened it was still sort of an accident though he knew what he was doing the second he got Ash’s hoodie. He was freezing and he knew that Ash would give him whatever he wanted so he asked if he could borrow a hoodie. Of course Ash said yes, Eiji more then happy that he was enveloped in Ash’s scent.

He didn’t really have an excuse after that. He would make up reasons why he needed something of Ash’s, his collection seeming to grow bigger by the day.

He didn’t really think much of it until he realized that everything that he had taken from Ash was now in his bed, making a sort of make shift nest. 

Eiji felt himself flush looking at the messy bed. He didn’t know that was what he was doing, he just liked being surrounded by Ash’s scent.

“Wow,” he heard Yut Lung say behind him.

He turned to look at the other omega who was smirking at him. “Uh…”

“You know I thought that I was smelling more of that lion here but I just figured it was clinging to you,” Yut Lung hummed. “I would have never guessed it was because you were nesting.”

Eiji felt his face get warmer, not having an excuse for what he was doing. He felt more confused then anything though. “I don’t know why I stole so much of Ash’s things.”

Yut Lung laughed, walking into the room. He picked up a pair of Ash’s boxers, Eiji blushing at that. He had literally just stole that out of Ash’s dresser. “Wow, you really have it bad.”

Eiji snatched the piece of clothing out of Yut Lung’s hands, glaring at him. “I know that. But… but why am I doing this?”

Yut Lung gave him a look before sighing. “You’re like a baby. You really don’t know much, do you?”

“No,” Eiji huffed, crossing his arms. 

“Okay,” Yut Lung sighed again. “You’re an omega. Omega’s nest to feel safe. That’s what you’re doing. They typically use things that have their own scent on them but if they’ve found someone that they’ve chose to mate with they’ll want to use things that have that persons scent on them.”

Eiji frowned. “You don’t nest. I thought you were an omega.”

Yut Lung just continued like he hadn’t heard Eiji. “Most omegas have some sort of nest going on at most times though their nesting habits will get worse once they’re around a heat. You still don’t smell like you’re going into heat though. You may be but it could just be the very beginning of it.”

Eiji sat on the bed, looking at the mess on it that he had been sleeping in. “How do we know when I’ll go into heat?”

“You’ll know,” Yut Lung told him.

Eiji accepted the answer, Yut Lung leaving the room after that. He was still so new to everything that it was a lot to take in.

Another thing that Eiji noticed, embarrassingly enough, was that he had started to bite at Ash. He had been bitten by Ash before but he had thought it was just something that the alpha had liked. Now though Eiji was starting to think it was a were thing.

Ash had never really said anything about it, just rolling with it when it would happen until Eiji hadn’t realized what he was doing one time.

They were at Ash’s apartment, Shorter out somewhere with Yut Lung.

Eiji had managed to get Ash on his back, kissing at the others naked chest. Ash had his hands tangled in his hair, groaning whenever Eiji nipped him especially hard. 

Eiji had moved to Ash’s neck, nipping him lightly where he thought he smelled Ash’s scent the most. It made his head dizzy, smelling it. He could tell Ash was aroused, spurring him on more.

He didn’t realize what he was really doing until he bit down, hard just below Ash’s jaw making him yelp and shove Eiji back.

“Ow!” Ash shouted, holding his neck.

“I’m sorry,” Eiji said quickly, sitting back to straddle Ash’s hips. “I didn’t mean too. I just… I couldn’t really help it.”

Ash sighed, sitting up. “It’s fine, don’t worry about it.”

Eiji moved Ash’s hand to look at the spot he had bit. It looked red but he hadn’t broken skin thankfully. Eiji leaned in and kissed the spot lightly, as an apology. “I really didn’t mean too. It just felt like the right thing to do? I don’t really know.”

“It’s okay, Eiji,” Ash reassured him. He steadied Eiji with his hands on his hips, giving him a quick kiss. “You’re still new to this whole thing. It’s okay.”

Eiji went completely red thinking about the nest he had made of Ash’s things. He had managed to avoid letting Ash come to his apartment, not wanting him to see his nest quite yet.

“W-why did I do that?” Eiji ask tentatively. Ash laughed, making Eiji shove him. “Be nice.”

“Okay, I’m sorry,” Ash said, though seemed to be holding back laughter still. “It’s really just an instinct thing. You’re just… trying to claim something.”

Eiji felt himself blush slightly. “O-oh, so like-“

“You’re trying to tell everyone that I’m yours by marking me,” Ash interrupted. Eiji could see a faint blush on his face.

Eiji thought about it for a moment, thinking about having something on Ash that made him his and he found that he liked it more then he thought. Then he immediately thought back to the bite that had turned him, smacking his hand over it.

Ash’s face turned sad, pulling Eiji’s hand away. “I’m so sorry.”

“Stop being sorry,” Eiji shook his head. “I should be the sorry one for getting caught.”

Ash kissed Eiji softly, leaning his forehead against Eiji’s. “How about we both not be sorry?”

Eiji smiled, kissing Ash again. “I can live with that.”

—

Yut Lung had gotten a cold and at first Eiji didn’t think anything of it until he could tell that he was really not feeling well, coughing and just generally looking miserable. That was when Eiji decided to stay home from work and try to take care of him, not wanting to be away from the other.

Eiji didn’t want Yut Lung on the couch, where his usual bed was so he invited him to sleep in his bed for now. Yut Lung seemed very at home in the nest that was Eiji’s bed, all curled up in the soft things.

Eiji felt proud of it, the nest holding mostly him and Ash’s scent though there was some of Yut Lung’s sweet scent and Shorter’s subtle scent in there as well. He had managed to steal some of Shorter and Yut Lung’s things as well.

He was proud that Yut Lung seemed to like it so much and was able to relax in it even though he clearly didn’t feel good.

Eiji didn’t know why he did it but he started to pull the blankets around Yut Lung, tucking the other in. 

“I’m not your child,” Yut Lung huffed as Eiji pulled a blanket over him.

Eiji stopped what he was doing, confused. “What?”

“You… this is so stupid,” Yut Lung protested, kicking at the blankets.

Eiji felt himself growl, not liking that Yut Lung was moving around so much and he was disturbing Eiji’s hard work.

Yut Lung blinked at him, having stopped moving.

Eiji didn’t even think he could growl like that, surprising him. He quickly shook the feeling off, going back to trying to getting Yut Lung to talk.

“What do you mean?” Eiji asked, going back to tucking Yut Lung in.

The snake looked ready to scream, not liking what Eiji was doing. “Stop bundling me up and I’ll tell you!”

Eiji stopped, giving Yut Lung a look. 

“Jeez, you sure are a lot,” Yut Lung said under his breath, though he extracted his hand from the nest and pulled Eiji in and tucked himself under Eiji’s chin, Eiji’s arms going around him immediately. Eiji felt happiness bubble up in him, a happy warmth that he couldn’t quite explain why it was there. 

“Tell me,” Eiji said, poking Yut Lung’s cheek.

“Fine, okay,” Yut Lung sighed, coughing some. “If Ash, Shorter, you, and me were a pack, you’d be like the ‘head’ omega and that’s what you’re acting like this. You keep trying to take care of me, like a mom and it’s annoying so stop.”

“What are you talking about?” Eiji frowned. “Why would _I_ be the ‘head’ omega?”

“Because Ash is the leader, the ‘head’ alpha, and you’ve chosen each other for some stupid reason,” Yut Lung huffed. “I still think you could do better then him.”

“And I still think you should shut you face,” Eiji pointed out.

Yut Lung sighed. “Look, I know it must be weird to be suddenly going through all this and probably kind of scary but I’m… uh… here for you.”

Eiji smiled, running his fingers through Yut Lung’s incredibly soft hair. “Thank you.”

“Whatever,” Yut Lung said. Eiji felt him take a deep breath, seeming to relax some and snuggle further into Eiji’s embrace.

“And what did you mean ‘if’ about the pack thing?” Eiji hummed. “You’re a part of our pack.”

Yut Lung didn’t say anything, just seemed to try and get closer to Eiji.

“Yeah, don’t you worry,” Eiji said, rubbing the other omega’s back. “You’re a part of our pack no matter what.”

It felt weird to think of himself as the ‘head’ omega that Yut Lung referred to him as though it definitely fit. It felt even weirder to think of himself as part of a pack but here he was, part of one.

He felt very protective over Yut Lung, wanting to make sure he was safe. He knew Yut Lung felt similar just from some of the conversations he had with him, especially where Ash was brought up.

Now that Yut Lung was sick he felt the need to watch over him even more, a motherly like instinct taking over. He wanted to just wrap him up and keep him there until he felt better.

—

Eiji didn’t even notice he had been scenting Ash, still sort of unsure how to release his scent at will. He had managed it a few times but it was mostly random when it happened. 

He was over at Ash and Shorter’s apartment with Yut Lung when Shorter told him.

“Eiji, I know you love Ash and he’s your soulmate and whatnot but could you like, cool it with your scent?” Shorter huffed at him.

Yut Lung snickered, making Ash glare at the snake.

“What do you mean?” Eiji frowned.

“Don’t listen to him Eiji,” Ash told him, now sending a glare to his friend.

“No, tell me,” Eiji said, crossing his arms.

“You practically bathe Ash in your scent like every time you see him,” Shorter said. “It’s sweet, don’t get me wrong. But you just lay it on so thick.”

Eiji flushed. “I don’t know how to control it. I didn’t even know I was doing that.”

“It’s fine,” Ash said. “Really. Don’t listen to him.”

“But I don’t even know that I’m doing it,” Eiji said. “It’s not like I’m meaning to do that. If I can stop it, I would.”

Ash blushed ever so slightly. “It doesn’t bother me that you do.”

“Oh,” Eiji said, blushing too.

Shorter groaned. “I wasn’t asking you to _stop_ , I was just asking you to tone down your displays of love.”

Eiji and Ash both went slightly redder at that.

“Gross, get your love fest out of here,” Yut Lung said, making a face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If anyone has any questions now that I'm going to go more in depth with Eiji being a were, feel free to ask, I promise I'm not mean and I'll answer whatever the question is :)
> 
> Oh and I'm sorry if anyone is waiting for another chapter on Yut Lung's part. I thought I'd have it out like a week ago but, you know, life happens. I'll hopefully have it out soon but I just don't know when exactly :/


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got a little carried away with this one? I think you'll enjoy hehehee  
> I didn't really proof read this well so let me know if there's any mistakes, I'll go through later and fix them
> 
> Update on my life if anyone cares, I almost had to call the cops on a client yesterday at work so work now completely sucks too -.- it seems like when one thing gets a little better, something else comes crumbling down. I love it. (I'm being sarcastic if you can't tell)
> 
> I hope you enjoy this update though :)

Eiji had been planning on hiding his nest from Ash for as long as possible. He was slightly embarrassed by it, having so much of Ash’s things in it. He didn’t know how Ash would react though he had to realize that more and more of his things were missing by now. He felt like Ash would either really like it or dislike it.

Eiji wasn’t exactly being subtle anymore, the last time he went over to Ash’s he had just went into his room and grabbed 2 shirts, a pair of sweats and brought them home. Ash had to know something was up with him and that he wasn’t acting completely normal.

He had too.

The fact that he was keeping his nest hidden from Ash all came crumbling down one night when Ash made a surprise visit to him.

He wasn’t having the best night either. For some reason he felt especially anxious, most likely because of the nest. It felt finished but something was off about it.

Yut Lung answered the door, sighing when he saw Ash who just seemed slightly annoyed.

“Eiji, your _soulmate_ is here,” Yut Lung said, walking away from the door, making Ash have to close it.

Eiji got up from the couch that doubled as Yut Lung’s bed and ran to Ash. “W-what are you doing here?”

He knew that Ash wasn’t going to want to spend time with Yut Lung so they had two options, leaving or going into Eiji’s room and he had the feeling Ash wasn’t going to want to leave.

“I just felt like visiting,” Ash shrugged, giving Eiji a quick kiss. “You always come to my place so I figured I’d come here today.”

Eiji felt himself panic but was trying to keep that hidden. He was clearly unsuccessful when Yut Lung gave him a look.

“You okay?” Ash asked, concern clearly on his face.

“I’m great,” Eiji said shakily. “Do you want anything to drink?”

Ash shook his head, grabbing Eiji’s hand and pulled him to Eiji’s room.

Eiji felt like he suddenly had a cold sweat, panic now clearly on his face. He gave Yut Lung a look who just seemed to smirk back at him.

“I feel like I haven’t been over to your place in forever,” Ash hummed as he pushed Eiji’s door open.

“Uh…” Eiji said, Ash pulling him the rest of the way into his room.

Ash stopped in the middle of Eiji’s room, staring at the nest that Eiji had made.

“I can explain!” Eiji yelled frantically.

He could hear Yut Lung snickering in the living room, making him slam the door shut in frustration.

“It smells like me,” Ash said softly.

Eiji couldn’t see his face and a part of him was scared to see it, worried that he would be displeased with it. He didn’t know why he needed approval but a small part of him wanted it.

“…and Shorter and, _ew_ , is that the snakes scent in there?” Ash asked, turning to look at Eiji.

Eiji looked down at the ground, still not wanting to see Ash’s face. He clearly didn’t like that Eiji had Yut Lung’s scent in his nest and in his head that made the nest bad.

Ash walked over to Eiji and lifted his chin up so he would look at him. Eiji stared into the green eyes that looked bright with excitement.

“Wh-“

“You stole all my stuff and used it to make a _nest_ ,” Ash said excitedly. “A nest that smells like… like our pack.”

Eiji went red immediately. “I’m sorry I took your things without really asking. I just couldn’t help it. And I’m sorry that it smells like Yut Lung, it’s just that I really care about him and he’s become a part of my life. I’m sorry if that means you hate the nest.”

Ash immediately looked confused. “What? How could I hate it? I love it! I may not like that little… turd but I understand where you’re coming from. I just never thought that you’d nest with my things. Well… Shorter mentioned that you had been taking a lot of stuff and teased me about it but I didn’t think you were.”

Eiji felt a sense of almost overwhelming happiness go over him. Ash liked his nest, approved of it. 

Eiji wrapped his arms around Ash, pulling him into a comforting hug. He smelled so nice right now, burying his face in Ash’s neck where his scent was the strongest.

Ash laughed, “Were you really scared that I wasn’t going to like it?”

“Well, I don’t know, I’ve never built one before and Yut Lung’s made fun of me and keeps saying it sucks,” Eiji huffed.

“Don’t listen to him,” Ash hummed. “He’s just jealous he doesn’t have a great nest like this.”  
Eiji giggled, kissing Ash’s neck.

Ash pulled Eiji away from his neck, kissing him gently. “I’m really glad you decided to nest with my things.”

Eiji blushed, pulling away. “It’s not _that_ big of a deal, right?”

“It kind of is,” Ash hummed, kissing Eiji’s neck. “You’ve surrounded yourself with my scent, and a couple others, that you’ve been sleeping in. Did Yut Lung explain what that typically means?”

Eiji shivered as Ash kissed down his neck, nipping lightly. “Y-yeah, that you use the scent of the person you want to be with, right?”

“And the ones that make you feel safe,” Ash said, nipping at Eiji’s ear.

Eiji could feel his scent spike, unable to stop it. He was definitely being affected by what Ash was doing and his scent was reflecting it.

Eiji didn’t expect Ash to suddenly pick him up and sort of drop him onto the nest. He bounced slightly, before sitting up to laugh at Ash.

“Can I come in?” Ash grinned. 

Eiji put out his arms, welcoming Ash. “Of course.”

Ash quickly scrambled into the nest with Eiji, letting Eiji wrap him in his arms, blanketing Ash in his scent. Eiji had been doing much better at controlling his scent, able to release it when he wanted too now.

Eiji felt content knowing that Ash was in his nest with him, no longer anxious and worried. It just felt right having him there.

He had yet to go through a heat which both Yut Lung and Ash found odd. They could smell that he was going to be an omega already so they thought that maybe he would have had a heat already too. Apparently he smelled like one but like one that hadn't presented yet. He was getting slightly worried that it would just sneak up on him one day without him noticing.

Ash reassured him though that he’d be able to smell it when it came.

Eiji was distracted thinking about that until Ash rolled the two of them over, now laying on top him.

Eiji laughed, running his fingers through Ash’s hair. He could hear him purring, making Eiji smile.

Ash kissed him lightly before moving down to kiss along his jaw.

Eiji giggled as Ash kissed along his throat, releasing his scent.

Ash groaned, biting at Eiji’s throat lightly now.

“God, I hate that you learned how to control your scent,” Ash huffed, moving to kiss Eiji’s lips quickly.

Eiji snuck his hands under Ash’s shirt, feeling the soft skin of his back. “No, you like it.”

Ash laughed, kissing Eiji’s cheek before moving down and giving the scar that was just below his ear a soft kiss before moving on. Ash didn’t like talking about how Eiji got the scar, trying to push the reason away but the way he would touch it was always like he was saying sorry.

It slightly annoyed Eiji but he tried to think past it for the most part.

Ash pulled away before moving back to take off his shirt. Ash had lean muscle compared to Eiji, who felt like he was getting softer. Yut Lung explained that it was probably the omega side of him showing more.

Ash leaned back over Eiji, kissing the other heatedly.

Eiji moaned into the kiss, pressing up closer to Ash. 

He felt like his head was swimming in Ash’s scent, loving it. Now that he could smell it, he understood what Shorter meant when he said Ash couldn’t contain it very well. Once Ash let it out, it was like he couldn’t help but let it crank up to 10 right away. And Shorter was making fun at Eiji about his scent.

Eiji didn’t mind it though, when they were like this. It just smelled so nice and protective.

“Eiji,” Ash said softly, breaking away from the kiss.

“Hmm?” Eiji hummed.

“Do… do you think you’d want to have sex?” Ash asked him softly. If Eiji squinted, he thought he could see a blush on Ash’s cheeks. That didn’t matter though because Eiji was blushing enough for the two of them.

“Uhh…”

“We don’t have too,” Ash correctly quickly. “We can wait but I was just-“

“No, I want to but I’m still slightly traumatized from last time,” Eiji told him, covering his eyes.  
Ash groaned, hanging his head.

They had been so, _so_ close a couple of weeks ago when Shorter had walked in on them, completely ruining the mood. Eiji had high tailed it out of Ash’s apartment so fast he had left his boxers behind. He had been so embarrassed that Shorter had seen him completely naked and hadn’t wanted to even think about it. Ash asking just brought up the embarrassment again.

“Yeah, I’m still mad at Shorter for that,” Ash grumbled.

Eiji laughed. “Don’t be mad. At least you had pants on still. I was completely naked.”

“That’s why I was mad!” Ash said loudly.

“Well, I do still want to and I don’t think any wild Shorter’s are going to appear,” Eiji laughed. “Though… Yut Lung is here.”

Ash made a face. “How sound proof are your walls?”

Eiji smacked his side lightly. “He listens to music a lot to sleep so he probably won’t hear anything.”

Eiji pulled Ash down for another kiss, letting Ash set the pace who seemed very eager. Eiji shivered when Ash brushed his fingers down his chest, moving to his boxers.

Ash made quick work of those, throwing them elsewhere.

“Hey, not fair,” Eiji told Ash, tugging on Ash’s pants. Ash batted Eiji’s hand away, kissing him again, effectively making him quiet.

Eiji let out a soft moan when he felt Ash lightly touch his half hard cock. He just gave Eiji’s cock teasing touches, making Eiji squirm, until he was fully hard and leaking.

“I love when your scent gets like this,” Ash said softly, whispering in Eiji’s ear now. “You smell so good, like you want me to devour you.”

Eiji moaned, his hips jerking up ever so slightly with his cock bumping against the back of Ash’s fingers. It wasn’t fair when Ash spoke like that, his voice doing _things_ to Eiji.

Ash moved away from him for a moment, rummaging around in Eiji’s nightstand. He found what he was looking for, placing lube and condoms by Eiji’s hips.

Eiji could smell Ash’s scent spike, smelling more aroused. It was overwhelming but he loved it. 

Ash’s scent helped Eiji relax as Ash prepped him, Eiji slightly nervous. The nervousness went away almost completely when Ash’s fingers press lightly against the bundle of nerves in him, making Eiji gasp.

It didn’t take long after that for Ash to deem Eiji open enough. 

Eiji felt a little overwhelmed but he wanted this. They hadn’t talked about it yet and he knew they had too, but when Eiji’s heat came around, they didn’t know if he would spend it alone or with Ash. He definitely wanted to have had sex with him before that especially if they were going to end up spending it together. Even if they weren’t, he had wanted this for a while.

Eiji made Ash take his pants and boxers off, telling him that he needed to be as naked as him. Ash obeyed, seemingly happy to make Eiji happy.

“Are you sure?” Ash asked, moving to kneel between Eiji’s legs. He moved one of them up and kissed his ankle.

“I should be asking you that Ash,” Eiji told him, putting his arms out.

Ash instantly dropped his leg and moved into the hug that Eiji had for him, kissing his cheek gently. “I want you Eiji. I think I always will.”

Eiji let those words sink in, feeling the exact same way. “I want you too.”

When Eiji spread his legs slightly, his hips rolling up into Ash’s lightly, Ash seemed to understand what he was trying to say, moving back. Ash found the condom on the bed and put it on, Eiji watching with a flushed face.

“Stop staring,” Ash huffed.

Eiji grinned, wrapping his legs around Ash’s middle. “Sorry, I can’t help it.”

Ash actually blushed before he lined himself up, leaning down to kiss Eiji lightly. It was a nice distraction as Eiji felt Ash push in. Even though he felt like he was open and just dripping with how much lube Ash had used, it still burned a little.

Ash pushed in slow, planting kisses everywhere on Eiji’s face.

Eiji let out a noise that it didn’t exactly sound like he was enjoying it, Ash stopping instantly.

“Do you want to stop?” Ash asked. 

Eiji shook his head. “It’s fine, I just have to get used to it.”

“Okay,” Ash said softly. “Just tell me if I do something you don’t like.”

Eiji nodded, pulling Ash back for a kiss but that in turn made Ash thrust the rest of the way in him, making Eiji cry out.

“I’m sorry, Eiji,” Ash said. His voice sounded strained, like he was holding back.

“It’s okay, just give me a minute,” Eiji breathed. 

Ash kissed him again, releasing more of his scent at the same time. Eiji felt almost drunk on it at this point. He could tell that it was screaming that Eiji was Ash’s and that made him groan, liking that thought.

He let out a soft moan when he felt Ash wrap his fingers around his cock, stroking lightly.

“Ash,” Eiji moaned out. “You can move.”

Ash groaned, kissing down to Eiji’s neck to bury his face there. Ash was slow at first, just sort of rolling his hips against Eiji’s, making him groan.

Eiji let his legs slip from Ash’s waist, falling back to the bed. “Come on Ash.”

Ash nipped Eiji’s neck before pulling out almost all the way and snapping back in.

Eiji cried out, nails digging into Ash’s back. 

He felt like all he could smell was Ash, his scent becoming too overwhelming. 

When Ash hit that bundle of nerves, Eiji cried out.

Ash sat back, grinning down at Eiji and pulling his hips up a little and slammed back in.

It didn’t take long after that, Eiji barely able to get out that he was close. 

Ash wrapped his hand around Eiji’s cock again, stroking him in time with his thrusts. It wasn’t long, Eiji stuttering out that he was going to come, making a mess on his stomach and Ash’s hand.  
Ash was clearly close too, groaning as his thrusts became erratic. He buried his face in Eiji’s neck again, breathing him in. Eiji heard him grunt as his hips stuttered to a stop, fingertips digging into Eiji’s hips.

He kind of wish that he had seen Ash come but in the back of his head he knew that he could see that whenever, knowing already that he wasn’t going leave this beautiful man.

Ash was laying on Eiji, laying in the mess Eiji had made.

“Ash, come on,” Eiji said, poking at Ash’s side. “This is gross.”

“No, just let me sit here and bask in this,” Ash mumbled, kissing Eiji’s neck lightly.  
Eiji made a face, at the cooling come on his chest that Ash was now smearing everywhere and the fact that Ash’s softening cock was still inside him.

“Ash,” Eiji insisted. “We need to clean up.”

Ash groaned before pulling out, Eiji making a face at how that felt. He got up, throwing out the condom in a trash can in Eiji’s room. He would have to remember to change the bag before Yut Lung saw, he knew that he would say something about it.

Eiji’s legs felt like jelly, not even attempting to get up since he knew he would fall anyways. He watched as Ash put on his boxers and left the room before coming back with a wet wash cloth and cleaned him up, Eiji practically purring with the treatment.

Ash stopped his cleaning, leaning in close to Eiji. “Are you purring?”

Eiji blinked, feeling that he actually was before it stopped abruptly. “Oh, I didn’t even realize it.”

Ash grinned before kissing Eiji. “That’s so cute.”

Eiji kissed Ash back, before pulling away. “Clean me up the rest of the way.”

“Fine,” Ash huffed.

When Eiji was clean, he pulled Ash into his arms, releasing his scent again. Ash made a content noise, just breathing it in. 

Eiji felt content in his nest with Ash there, finally feeling like the incompleteness was gone. He fell asleep quickly, Ash in his arms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And Yut Lung heard everything and is distraught because Ash defiled his precious and innocent Eiji. AHhahaha


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This week has been long. Very long and very annoying.  
> But here you go, a new chapter and it's a _teeny_ bit longer :)  
>  Hope you enjoyyyy

Eiji felt very tired when he woke up the next morning, even though he had just slept. He almost felt like he had gotten too much sleep as he turned over. His body felt heavy and he didn’t want to open his eyes.

When he turned over, he turned over into Ash’s chest. He smelled so nice, though a little like sex. They probably both did, Eiji thought, his nose wrinkling.

Ash groaned but wrapped his arms around him and buried his nose in Eiji’s messy hair.

Eiji needed to go to the bathroom though, so he wiggled in Ash’s hold, trying to get him to let go. He wouldn’t budge so Eiji just sort of shoved Ash away.

Eiji got up out of bed, looking down to realize he was still naked. He sighed, grabbing a pair of boxers and what looked like Ash’s shirt and put them on quickly.

As he left his room though, he looked out into the living room to see Yut Lung glaring at him over the couch, his hair a complete mess.

Eiji went completely red, running straight to the bathroom. 

When he left the bathroom, he saw Yut Lung was now in the kitchen, slamming cabinets shut and making a huge racket.

“Uh, morning,” Eiji said tentatively.

Yut Lung slammed another cabinet shut to glare at Eiji, a box of cereal in his hand. “Morning.”

“Did you sleep well?” Eiji asked.

“No,” Yut Lung ground out.

Eiji flinched, feeling slightly uncomfortable. “I’m sorry, I-“

“It’s fine,” Yut Lung interrupted him, still glaring daggers. “It’s your apartment. Just… lets not talk about it.”

Eiji nodded, running his fingers through his own messy hair. “Um, want me to make you breakfast?”

Yut Lung stared at the box of cereal he was going to just have for breakfast in his hand. “Make me a nice big breakfast and I’ll forgive you.”

Eiji rolled his eyes, grabbing the box from Yut Lung to put away. “Fine, fine. What do you want?”

“I don’t know,” Yut Lung shrugged. “Just breakfast.”

“You’re such help,” Eiji rolled his eyes.

Eiji went and grabbed the carton of eggs from the fridge, placing them on the counter along with some bread.

“How do want your eggs?” Eiji asked.

“I want an omelet,” Yut Lung told Eiji, going to sit at the kitchen table.

Eiji opened the fridge again, sighing. He found some veggies he could chop up for the omelet.  
“What do you want in your omelet then?” Eiji huffed.

Yut Lung shrugged, his phone now in his hand being scrolled through.

He was acting like a brat again.

“I’m gonna go wake up Ash before I make you something,” Eiji sighed. He got another glare from Yut Lung but ignored it. “I want to know what he wants.”

Eiji went to wake Ash up who was still fast asleep, snoring lightly.

Eiji laughed, going and shaking Ash’s shoulder. “Ash, come on. I’m making breakfast and I want to know what you want.”

Ash groaned, rolling away from Eiji.

“Wake up, Ash,” Eiji huffed. “Stop acting like a child.”

Ash rolled back over but only to yank Eiji into the bed, Eiji face planting on Ash’s chest.

“Ash!”

“Just stay here with me,” Ash hummed, sleep still evident in his voice.

“No, come on,” Eiji huffed, pulling away but only getting so far with Ash’s arms now wrapped around him. “I’m making breakfast right now.”

Ash released some of his scent, making Eiji’s head slightly dizzy. He didn’t necessarily want to leave his nice soft nest that had Ash in it now. 

“We could sleep a little longer,” Ash said softly.

Eiji curled closer to Ash before blinking and pushing away from him. “No! That’s not fair, you can’t use your scent to try and get me to stay in bed with you longer. Get your lazy butt up and get ready.”

Eiji managed to climb out of bed before Ash could yank him back in, stomping out of the room.

It didn’t take long for Ash to come out of Eiji’s room, actually putting on sweats that he definitely got from Eiji’s nest and a shirt.

“What’s for breakfast?” Ash yawned, going over and wrapping himself on Eiji’s back.

Eiji elbowed him in the stomach. He put a pot of water on the stove, turning it on. Yut Lung would only drink coffee from a french press, claiming it tasted better that way so Eiji had just started drinking it that way too.

“Well, I’m making an omelet for Yut Lung, do you want one too?” Eiji asked.

“Yes please,” Ash said, kissing Eiji’s cheek before leaning against a counter.

“You could actually help you know,” Eiji said to Yut Lung.

Yut Lung shrugged. “No, I don’t want too. You offered anyways.”

Eiji rolled his eyes once again at Yut Lung.

So Eiji made them breakfast, Ash and Yut Lung surprisingly civil while they waited. Ash didn’t even seem to get that annoyed.

They ate fairly quickly, Yut Lung finishing first. He grabbed some clothes from the living room before going into the bathroom and started the shower.

“You seem to be getting along with him better,” Eiji smiled, happy that they weren’t yelling at each other constantly.

“Yeah, yeah,” Ash waved it off. “He doesn’t seem like he’s going anywhere and he’s always with Shorter now too so, yeah.”

Eiji laughed, glad the two were finally getting along at least a little.

—

“Do you know why I haven’t had a heat yet?” Eiji asked Yut Lung.

The two were in the Eiji’s room, Yut Lung doing his nails. He had picked a dark color that Eiji thought was actually black but realized it was just a very dark purple when Yut Lung started applying it.

Yut Lung shrugged. “I don’t know. I’ve never met a human that turned into a were.”

Eiji sighed, moving to lay down on his back. “I just feel like I want it to happen to get it over with.”

“Are you gonna spend it with Ash?” Yut Lung asked, holding up his hand and turning it slightly. He frowned before applying another coat.

“W-well, I don’t know,” Eiji said softly. “We haven’t talked about that yet.”

Yut Lung hummed, now blowing on his nails lightly.

Eiji stared at the ceiling, thinking. He knew that all of them had told him he smelled like an omega but what if they were wrong? What if he was defective or something because he had been human? He nested and had a sweeter scent to others that smelled like an omega but what if that was it? What if he never had a heat?

Not that it should matter to him, and it really didn’t but everyone was saying he was an omega and he didn’t understand why he wasn’t having a heat yet.

“I can practically hear you thinking,” Yut Lung said, now moving on to paint the other hand.

“Sorry,” Eiji sighed. “What if I never have a heat?”

Yut Lung paused, seeming to think for a moment before going back to painting his nails. “What about if you see a doctor?”

“Is there a doctor for this sort of thing?” Eiji asked, sitting up.

He jostled the bottle of nail polish slightly, making Yut Lung glare at him.

“I mean yeah, probably,” Yut Lung said, concentrating on his nails. “You just have to find one.”

“How do you know about it then? Have you been to one?” Eiji asked, curious.

Yut Lung paused in his painting once again to look up at Eiji, an expression he couldn’t quite place on his face. “Yes. Please don’t ask anymore about it though.”

Eiji nodded slowly, watching as Yut Lung went back to painting his nails. They were quiet for a bit before Eiji spoke up again. “Are you painting your nails purple to match Shorter?” Eiji teased.

Yut Lung threw a pillow at his face with the hand he was painting with. “Shut up!”

Eiji could see him blushing though, furiously trying to finish his nails.

—

Yut Lung had helped Eiji find a doctor that actually specialized in humans that had turned into weres, which Eiji didn’t even know existed.

The appointment was early in the morning so Eiji could just get back to work later, though they were both exhausted from the early morning, Ash was basically falling asleep in his chair before Eiji’s name was called.

“Do you want me to come in with you?” Ash asked, seeming like he wanted Eiji to say yes.

“Yes please,” Eiji nodded, grabbing Ash’s hand. 

They followed the nurse back to a room, where she told Eiji to change into the gown that was on the exam table before saying the doctor would be in shortly.

Eiji changed into the gown and sat on the exam table, Ash sitting in a chair next to it.

The doctor came in fairly quickly, smiling at Eiji. 

She smelled like a human to Eiji, which wasn’t what Eiji was expecting. For some reason he had thought that she would have been a were. She had long blonde hair that was tied back in a ponytail and sharp green eyes.

“Hello, I’m Dr. Jessica Randy, you must be Eiji Okumura,” she said, holding her hand out.

Eiji nodded, reaching to shake her hand.

“And this is your boyfriend?” she asked, turning to Ash to smile and shake his hand too.

“Yes, my name is Ash,” Ash smiled, shaking her hand as well.

“It’s very nice to meet both of you,” Dr. Randy said as she leaned against a counter. “So you’re here because you haven’t had a heat yet, right Eiji? But your partner has already smelled that you’re going to be an omega?

“Yes,” Eiji nodded, fiddling with the gown now.

“Okay,” she nodded, taking a seat on a stool near the exam table and started writing in the chart she had. Some of her hair had fallen out of the pony, making her frown at it before blowing it out of the way. “When were you turned?”

“Um, maybe about 3 months ago,” Eiji said.

“Alright, well that’s not completely unheard of but still odd. Especially because you already are putting out those omega pheromones according to your partner. There hasn’t been any major stressors going on in your life?” she asked, looking up.

Eiji shook his head.

“Well, that would be a big factor, if there was,” she said as she wrote. “Can I take a look at the bite mark on your neck?” 

Eiji nodded, looking over at Ash who seemed to tense up slightly.

She put some gloves on before going over and tilting Eiji’s head to the side. “It looks like it’s healed very well, though I will say it’s quite, uh, noticeable,” she laughed, looking over at Ash.

“I didn’t do it,” Ash said, glaring slightly at the woman.

Eiji gave him a look that made Ash seem to calm down slightly before looking down at his hands in his lap.

She gave him an odd look before going back to Eiji to look at the scar again. “Okay, well I don’t see this as being an issue. How about I do my exam and see what I find?”

Eiji nodded, able to smell that Ash’s scent became nervous when she mentioned the exam, Eiji able to tell his own scent was slightly nervous.

The exam was fairly normal, getting vitals mostly with a few random questions thrown in, mostly just asking if Eiji was generally healthy. She got blood from Eiji too, wanting to send it out to see if there was something that wasn’t noticeable.

When the exam was finally done, she sat back in her stool for a moment seeming to think.

“Have you two been together long?” she asked as she wrote in her chart.

“Oh, um, I guess a while,” Eiji said. “About 6 months I think. Our friends like to say we’re soulmates. I, uh, definitely think we are.”

Eiji looked over to see Ash blushing slightly at that.

Dr. Randy paused in her writing before placing her pen down on the chart. “Soulmates?”

“Yeah, I mean, you can believe it or not but-“

“There’s something indescribable between you two?” she interrupted. She seemed to perk up slightly, leaning closer to Eiji. “Soulmates are definitely a thing and if you two really are soulmates then that would explain why Eiji hasn’t had a heat.”

“What do you mean?” Eiji frowned. 

“Weres that are soulmates have their heats/ruts synced up in because they’re at their most fertile at that time to reproduce and you know, to deal with them at the same time,” she said, picking up her pen to write something else in the chart. “So, your body is almost holding out until your partners rut, like it’s kind of stuck in that before stage of going into heat. And you are an alpha, yes?” she turned to ask Ash.

“Yeah,” Ash nodded.

“How would you know that we’re soulmates then?” Eiji asked.

She tapped her pen on the chart in her lap, thinking for a moment before answering. “There’s no real test to determine that. That’s something that you would have to know and people that think they’re soulmates usually have a… like an unconscious tug toward the other. It’s like an unbreakable bond that only the two of them understand. Though, I only know from what I’ve read. I do not have one that I know of.”

Ash and Eiji stared at each other for a moment. In Eiji’s mind, what she just said made complete sense. From the very beginning, Eiji felt that need to be near Ash. He hated being away from him during his rut, not allowed to see him.

“So, once my rut hits, we’ll know if something is actually wrong with Eiji or if it’s just his body waiting for my rut?” Ash asked, leaning forward in his chair a little.

“Yes, I would say so,” Dr. Randy nodded. “Now, if you’re going to spend it together, do we need to have the talk about birth control?”

Eiji blinked before letting out a nervous laugh. “I know I’m an omega but I’m a guy. I can’t get pregnant.”

Dr. Randy sounded like she was trying to hold back a snort before she spoke, her voice calm. “When you went through that pain when you were bitten, part of that was your body becoming a were and part of it was your body making room for a womb if you really are a omega.”

Eiji let out a nervous laugh before seeing that she was completely serious. “What? So I can get pregnant?”

“Yes, I’m surprised your partner hasn’t told you that yet,” she said, shooting Ash a look as she took her hand away.

Ash turned away from her angrily. “I just hadn’t had the chance to _tell_ him that yet and I didn’t even know male humans that were turned into omega weres would be able to get pregnant.”

“Oh, yes, they definitely can,” she laughed. “It is my specialty so I do know of some cases. The fertility rate is lower but it’s definitely happened.”

Eiji fidgeted with the end of his gown, not knowing how to process the new information. He found it so odd to think he could get pregnant. That was very new information to him. 

He thought briefly about having a child with Ash and found himself warming up with happiness over the thought. Then he thought about the fact that he would actually be pregnant and he found he didn’t hate the idea but it definitely weirded him out some.

“Well, I don’t know how to process this but okay then,” Eiji said shakily. “It’s not like it can be changed now.”

“You can go on a form of birth control,” she told him firmly. “There’s nothing to say you can’t. I can write you a script for whatever form you wish to have.”

“Right, can I only get pregnant during a heat then?” Eiji asked, curious.

“No,” she shook her head. “There’s a very high chance of you getting pregnant then but you can definitely get pregnant outside of it. So if you two decide to have unprotected sex then there’s a chance to get pregnant. Back to the question of if you’re going to share your heat/rut together, are you?”

“We haven’t thought that far actually,” Ash said awkwardly. 

Eiji suddenly wanted to go over to him and scent him, the urge just taking over. Ash seemed a little uncomfortable and it was making him feel like when Yut Lung was sick, wanting to cuddle the other and making sure he was okay.

“Okay, well do you know when you’ll get your rut?” Dr. Randy asked Ash.

“Probably in about a month,” Ash said. “It’s been like 3 months since my last one but I hadn’t had one before that in like 2 years so it may still come at an odd time.”

She blinked at him before frowning. “Did you post pone your rut that long for a reason?”

“Uh-“

“Because that is not a smart thing to do and I don’t recommend doing that again,” she scolded him. “Did you have a doctor prescribe suppressants that long? Who was that? I’d like to talk to them since your partner is now my patient and that is just-“

“It’s fine,” Ash said hurriedly. “He’s definitely not going to let me suppress it for any amount of time in the future. He was really mad that I had been suppressing it for that long and made me stop.”

She huffed before composing herself again. “Okay, well as long as you’re aware that it’s dangerous to do that and not going to do that again.”

“I won’t,” Ash shook his head, eyes wide.

Eiji thought it was funny watching his doctor get so upset at Ash who wasn’t even technically her patient.

“If we do spend your heat/rut together, is there something special we need to do for birth control?”  
Eiji asked, steering her away from Ash.

“Yes,” Dr. Randy nodded. “There’s a shot that you can take about a week prior to your heat. That’s the most effective I would say, you don’t have to bother with remembering and it should last for your heat/rut. There’s the pill but that wouldn’t be as effective in your case, especially during your heat. If you want to take the pill, we usually count on the partner to get the omega to take it during. Honestly, it’s a good choice but people don’t end up taking it during their heat and it doesn’t become effective then. Or there’s an implant that stays in for about 4 years. So you have a few options.”

That was a lot for Eiji to take in once again, Eiji sighing after she was done. “I-if we do decide to spend it together, do you have one that you’d recommend.”

He didn’t know if they were, they definitely needed to talk about it and get it out in the open. Eiji sort of wanted too but he wouldn’t say so until he knew Ash’s answer first since he was apprehensive the first time and he understood that. But he was definitely not ready to have a baby yet, even if he liked the idea so if that was a possibility he would need something.

“Probably the shot,” she said. “You come in about a week prior and you can _both_ get one so it’s more effective. It’s just with a nurse so you don’t have to bother with trying to get an appointment with me. Then after we can talk about what we can do for long term. I’m hesitant to put you on something right now because you haven’t had a heat yet so I want to make sure everything goes okay for your first one.”

Eiji nodded, looking over at Ash who seemed to be taking everything in as well.

“That’s a lot to think about,” Eiji said shakily. “But I’ll let you know?”

“Good, do you have any other questions then?” Dr. Randy asked.

Both Ash and Eiji shook their heads. 

“Okay, well it was very pleasant meeting you both,” she said as she stood up. “I will leave a note in your chart about getting the shot before Ash’s rut should you two decide to spend it together, regardless if your heat hits Eiji.”

“It was nice meeting you too,” Eiji smiled. 

“Yeah, it was nice to meet you,” Ash nodded. He seemed a little scared of her now to Eiji.

“You can get dressed, I’ll leave for that,” she smiled, going to the door. “Oh and what’s your doctors name Ash?”

“Um…”

She smiled politely at him, though Eiji could tell he was slightly uncomfortable.

“Dr. Max Lobo,” Ash finally told her.

“Really now…Thank you, Ash,” she said happily. “Have a great day boys.”

With that she left, leaving the two by themselves.

Eiji got up quickly to get dressed, wanting to get out of the itchy gown.

“I don't know if I liked her,” Ash said honestly as Eiji was getting dressed. 

Eiji laughed as he pulled his shirt over his head. “Why? She seemed really nice.”

“She was... I don't know how I feel,” Ash huffed, crossing his arms. “And what is she going to do to my doctor?”

“She just… wanted to make sure you were okay,” Eiji shrugged, finally finishing dressing. “I don’t know but probably yell at him.”

They made their way out to the front desk, stopping by reception. Eiji gave the woman his insurance card, luckily not having to pay anything at the moment.

They went to Ash’s car then, both slumping in their seats.

“So, should we talk about spending your rut and possibly my heat together?” Eiji asked as Ash started driving away, pulling on a string on his jeans.

Ash tensed slightly before sighing. “I want to spend it together.”

Eiji was startled by that, having not expected Ash to answer that way. He thought he’d still be against the idea of spending it together.

“Oh, wow I didn’t know you would want to spend it together,” Eiji told him. “I thought you’d want to wait.”

“Even if you don’t have a heat, I want too because I… I really care about you and I get almost itchy thinking of not being with you for that long again,” Ash said, gripping the steering wheel tighter. “I feel like I’ll go crazy not seeing you again for that long.”

Eiji nodded, understanding him completely. “W-where do you want to spend it? I know last time you made a nest but would you do that again or-“

“Your place,” Ash was quick to say. Eiji could see a faint blush on his cheek. “I… I like the way that your nest smells like us… like our pack. I want to spend it at your place.”

Eiji felt himself blush, though more out of happiness. He liked being reassured that his nest was good. “Okay, I’ll have to do something about Yut Lung. He could probably stay with Shorter though, right?”

Ash made a face but nodded. “I mean, I guess he can stay at my place. Yut Lung would _love_ that.”

Eiji frowned, looking over at Ash. “What does that mean?”

Ash laughed before shaking his head. “Nothing, just that the snake and Shorter are just getting closer I think.”

Eiji narrowed his eyes at him, though Ash was focusing on the road and didn’t notice it so he poked his side. “Are you hiding something?”

“Now why would I be hiding anything from my amazing boyfriend?” Ash hummed, grinning at Eiji.

Eiji huffed. “Fine, don’t tell me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I totally imagine yut lung as being snooty and only drinking from a french press, forcing eiji to buy one and getting eiji to like it too (i love my french press but i have a friend whos super stuck up about theres)
> 
> also we know jessica's gonna WRECK max for letting ash slide on his rut, poor guy. they're divorced in this au too and have michael, it probably wont be mentioned like at all but i thought i'd let you all know if you're curious
> 
> next chapter will be ash's pov btw :)


	21. Bonus Chapter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was requested by [dindh](https://archiveofourown.org/users/dindh/pseuds/dindh). Thank you for being so sweet and always finding my mistakes or things that just don't make sense, I appreciate it so much! Since you're so great, this chapter is for you :) I hope I did it justice lol
> 
> I really enjoyed writing from Ash's pov and I feel like I'm going to try and include that more.
> 
> It goes back a little ways to when Eiji shifts for the first time and connects with chapter 4 of [Honey, I'm gonna make it out alive](https://archiveofourown.org/works/16196228%22) which I'll hopefully be able to get out today *fingers crossed*
> 
> As always, hope you enjoy :)

Ash felt torn between being happy that Eiji was officially a part of his little pack now but at the same time he didn’t want it to have happened the way it did. He thought that if Eiji ever agreed to it, he’d be the one and it wouldn’t have happened for years, that they’d have time to talk it over.

Dino made everything so much worse though.

When he smelled Eiji for the first time in the hotel room, he felt like his whole body hurt. Hurt because this shouldn't have happened to him and because Eiji seemed apologetic about it when he should be the one to apologize to him forever. When he wrapped himself around him, he let his scent go and blanket Eiji, it was because he was so upset over what had happened and wanted to try and pretend briefly that it hadn't.

All he wanted was for Eiji to be happy and despite what happened he seemed happy at the very least. He almost seemed excited about the fact that he could shift.

The morning after they had gotten back from Dino’s and Eiji excitedly pushed Ash away from a very nice makeout and told him to wait, Ash was confused.

“Okay?” Ash said, frowning.

“I want to know what type of were I am!” Eiji told him excitedly, jostling Ash as he sat up. Ash laughed at how cute Eiji looked. “Right.”

Eiji looked so happy and excited about it. Ash felt so torn over it but decided he would be supportive of how Eiji felt. He felt that if he told Eiji how he felt, it would probably make him upset.

“Do you know?” Eiji asked, his scent practically dripping with excitement.

Ash sniffed his neck, trying to pick up something that was familiar to him. He smelled like a cat but he couldn’t place what type, telling Eiji as much. “You… you smell like some type of feline, I think? I can’t tell what though. Maybe it’s because you used to be human.”

Eiji seemed to pout at that, crossing his arms. “How do you shift then?”

That made Ash laugh because he didn’t know how to describe that feeling at all. He knew how to do it but he didn’t know how to describe it. “I don’t know how to describe it, it’s just something that I know how to do.”

Eiji continued to pout, not liking his answer. “Well teach me how then.”

“Well aren’t you bossy,” Ash snorted before moving off of Eiji. Eiji looked particularly cute with that pout as well, making him want to pinch his cheeks. “The only thing I can think to say is just to trying to concentrate on it. I guess think of what you think it feels like. You’ve seen me do it.”

He really didn’t know how to describe what it felt like but that’s what he did when he shifted, just concentrated on his lion form and it would happen.

Secretly, he almost hoped Eiji wouldn’t be able to shift because if he couldn’t, it wouldn’t be as real. It wouldn’t feel as real to him as it did and that would make him feel a little better. He hated that he felt like that but he also hated what Dino had done to Eiji. Eiji had shut his eyes and was concentrating now, the look on his face adorable.

“You’re going to try now?” Ash asked him.

“Well I want to know,” Eiji said, sticking his tongue out at him.

Ash rolled his eyes before sighing. Of course Eiji wanted to know right then and there.

Eiji really concentrated on it, peeking his eye open at one point to which Ash smiled at him. He would support Eiji and be happy for him. He would have to be because he cared about him.

When he started to shift, it looked like it hurt. It always hurt Ash to shift from human to animal and he figured it would be the same for Eiji.

He was a fluffy looking black cat, very beautiful and sleek looking, his tail particularly fluffy. 

Ash was happy that Eiji was able to shift because that’s what he wanted. He tried to forget about his worries for a minute and just take in how adorable Eiji looked, how tiny he would most likely be next to his lion form.

Eiji stretched his legs out in front of him, his claws coming out and then going back in before he made a cute little chirping sound.

Ash grinned, finding Eiji completely adorable. So much more adorable then Shorter was in his cat form, who looked so dumb because he decided to shave his head.

“You’re a cat,” Ash laughed as he reach to pet Eiji’s head.

Eiji leaned into it, nuzzling his hand. He sat up and curled his fluffy tail around his legs tightly and made another adorable noise.

Ash couldn’t help but coo at how cute Eiji was right now. His big brown eyes almost lost in the black fur surrounding them.

His paws were adorable too, Ash unable to stop himself from picking one up to press down lightly on them. Eiji didn’t seem to mind, just watching as he did this.

“I’m sorry, you’re just too cute,” Ash smiled down at him before he picked Eiji up, curling him on his back like a baby and petting him. He looked beyond cute and just so fluffy.

Eiji wiggled a little but didn’t seem to mind being held like that as Ash scratched behind his ears and pet him. As he did this Eiji started to purr but seemed to cut himself off abruptly. 

“That was adorable,” Ash told him. Eiji could purr like he could.

He couldn’t help it but he was actually becoming excited over the fact that Eiji was a part of the pack in this way too now. 

Eiji started to wiggle and kick in his hold so he let him go, before he shifted and was completely naked in his lap, his clothes on the bed from where he shift into a cat.

Eiji blushed before grabbing a blanket to cover himself with, Ash curling around him to hold Eiji closer.

“Did it hurt?” Ash said as he pet his head softly.

“Yes,” Eiji simply said. 

It hurt Ash to hear that but he knew it would hurt.

He was still torn though. Ash was happy because Eiji was happy. He was still upset that this had happened to him though, blaming himself for it. 

—

Eiji had told him about his fight with Yut Lung and he thought that the snake was valid in what he said. Eiji wouldn’t have been turned if Ash wasn’t in his life, wouldn’t have been kidnapped by Dino or had even known who he was.

Yut Lung was right to be mad at him. He had been the one to let Eiji get kidnapped because he was in rut and couldn’t look after Eiji himself. Maybe if he hadn’t been in rut, he could have done something or protected him in some way. He didn’t know and it hurt him to think about.

It wasn’t like Ash was going to leave Eiji though. He couldn’t, especially now. They hadn’t been together long but he knew that Eiji was the one. Eiji was kind and caring and seemed to be taking everything better then Ash had thought he would.

He’d only seen Eiji shift the once but he was adorable. He was so sleek and pretty looking he almost forgot why he should have been upset over the fact that he could do that now.

When Eiji had left later, actually a few days after they had came back from Dino’s, he had broken down and cried again. He had a feeling Shorter probably heard but he left him alone thankfully. 

Ash felt so conflicted in that moment. He wanted to be happy for Eiji, and he could do that for him, _he could_ but he was so upset that this was forced on Eiji. That wasn’t what he had wanted. If Eiji decided that he wanted to be turned, he wanted to be that one to do it, not _Dino_ , that piece of shit.

It hurt so badly that Eiji was forced into this, something he already didn’t know much about, that much was obvious. Even if Eiji seemed happy and even excited for it, he didn’t deserve to not have a choice.

He didn’t tell Eiji how he felt about it because he was worried it would upset him. Ash eventually told Shorter because he just needed to get it out there and tell _someone_ and Shorter was always there to listen.

“You should tell Eiji,” Shorter told him after Ash told him how he felt.

Ash blinked at his friend, who was staring at him with a straight face. “The reason I told you is because I can’t tell Eiji. It’ll only make him worry.”

Shorter shook his head. “You need to tell him because you two need to be honest with each other.”

“I know that,” Ash snapped. “I know that but I’m not going to worry him because there’s no point in it. Whats done is done, it’s just how I feel about the whole situation.”

Shorter groaned, sprawling out on the couch and sinking down slightly. “I don’t know what to tell you then Ash. I don’t think he’d be that worried. I think he’d appreciate it that you’re telling him how you feel about the situation.”

“I’m not telling him,” Ash shook his head. “And don’t you tell Eiji anything either.”

“Fine,” Shorter huffed, pouting because Ash didn’t listen to him.

Ash knew that he wouldn’t tell Eiji, that it was something that Ash needed to be the one to tell him.

Yut Lung just being in the vicinity of him presented another challenge. He was the one that actually helped kidnapped Eiji but it seemed he had been being good to him the entire time, actually helping Eiji.

Originally he came off very hostile toward Yut Lung, he knew that and he felt he had the right too. There was this omega that was acting so defiant to him and not listening when he told him to leave. 

He hated it. 

The fact that Eiji actually wanted him around, wanted to live with him, was what ended up presenting the problem. He couldn’t continue to hate Yut Lung if Eiji was going to keep shoving him in his face.

It was a slow process and he would admit that he didn’t think he’d ever forgive Yut Lung for betraying them and also kidnapping Eiji but he tried to not let him feel hated by Ash.

He begrudgingly considered him a part of the pack, mostly for Eiji. 

Then, because of Shorter. Shorter seemed to be so defensive of Yut Lung when Ash would lash out at him. He didn’t understand it and just chalked it up to him having a crush. He could admit that Yut Lung, however much of a snake he thought he was, was actually fairly attractive.

He felt like Shorter was different around the omega though, more gentle and patient, not that he wasn’t already but he seemed like he was just more of that with him.

After Eiji and him had come home from seeing a movie and heard that Yut Lung was sleeping in Shorter’s bed, he figured that the two were _something_. It irritated him a little but he decided to just keep his nose out of it. He would let the two work it out and not say anything that might make either of them mad.

The next morning was pleasant. He woke to Eiji snoring softly in his ear. He almost never got to wake up before Eiji and actually get to see his sleeping face, it was so cute and peaceful.

He had to go to the bathroom though so he got up and went straight for it but found it was locked as he turned the knob.

Ash frowned before he knocked. “Are you going to be in there long? I have to pee,” Ash huffed. He figured it was probably Shorter was startled when Yut Lung flung the door open and pushed past him.

“Happy?” Yut Lung snapped at him.

“Yes,” Ash snapped back at him, an automatic reaction to the other, before he slammed the door shut.

When he came back out he found Yut Lung on the couch with blankets wrapped around him. He looked pathetic wrapped up like that. Pathetic and sad.

Against his better judgement he asked, “What’s wrong with you?”

Yut Lung scoffed at him before laughing, really grating on Ash’s nerves, especially so early in the morning. “What would make you think that something’s wrong with me? I’m great, always great.”

Everything in his tone of voice made it sound like he was trying to convince himself that he was fine. He didn’t sound fine at all.

“Sure, sure. That’s why you locked yourself in the bathroom?” Ash asked, taking a seat next to Yut Lung who gave him a look before fiddling with the edge of the blanket he had around himself. He seemed to really take an interest in that and ignored the question Ash asked. 

Ash wanted to go back to bed but it was like he had a little voice in his head telling him that something’s wrong with Yut Lung and he should probably be a friend and try to help him.

“I can’t believe I’m even offering this but do you want to talk about it?” Ash huffed, crossing his arms and leaning back against the couch. He decided he would try to stay and be someone for Yut Lung to talk to or just be near him if he needed someone. 

It was what Eiji would _want_ him to do he knew.

“What makes you think I even want to talk to you?” Yut Lung laughed back at him, giving him a nasty look. “Just go back to Eiji.”

Ash felt his eyes twitch. Was it worth it to get talked to like this? “Look, I’m trying for Eiji’s sake because for some stupid reason he likes you. I don’t care whether you stay or not anymore as long as Eiji’s happy. That’s all that matters and that your staying doesn’t hurt Eiji in some way. So I’m trying to be nice and bridge this…hatred you have of me.”

Yut Lung was defensive always and Ash had a feeling he would be stubborn and just deflect everything back to him. He wanted to try for Eiji though.

“Just leave me alone,” Yut Lung sighed, yanking a thread out of the blanket. “Please.”

Yut Lung sounded like he was stuck on repeat and it was making him angry. He wanted to yell, and sleep. Mostly sleep. This was making him so frustrated. “How are we supposed to be part of a pack if you don’t meet us half way?” Ash snapped. He was so fed up with Yut Lung’s attitude. “I don’t know what else to do if you don’t want to meet me halfway. _I’m trying_.”

Yut Lung looked like he didn’t expect those words to come out of Ash. Honestly, he didn’t either but Eiji made him consider him part of the pack and even if he didn’t love the idea, Yut Lung made Eiji happy. All Ash wanted was to make sure Eiji was happy and if including Yut Lung made him happy, he would do that for him.

“What are you talking about? I’m not a part of your pack,” Yut Lung told him, a sad smile on his face.

Ash couldn’t hold back the noise that had been threatening to come out anymore, just letting out an annoyed noise at Yut Lung’s words. “You are! Whether I like it or you want to be. Eiji has taken you in as part of the pack and forced me to accept that you are so… for Eiji, just accept it.”

It was like he hit a switch or something and Yut Lung started to cry, taking Ash by surprise. He didn’t know what to do. He awkwardly reached out but then thought against it, unsure if Yut Lung would react badly to that.

“I-I’m not,” Yut Lung shook his head. “You don’t want me to be and… and I don’t have a place here nor _deserve_ what you all have given me-“

“Stop that,” Ash growled at him. Yut Lung was making him made. Not at Yut Lung but at the way he was talking about himself. He didn’t care who Yut Lung was or what he had done, he shouldn’t be talking about himself badly. “Sorry, just… I don’t care who you are, you shouldn’t think that way about yourself. Is that what’s bothering you?”

Yut Lung actually scoffed at him as he wiped tears from his eyes, making him get angry again at him for some reason. “It’s not your business.”

Ash was going to hold back because Eiji was his world and his world cared about Yut Lung and he was pretty sure his world would be upset if he ripped Yut Lung in half. “It is actually,” Ash managed to say nicely. “I’m the alpha or whatever of this pack and you’re a part of it so let me try and help you, please?”

He felt like he was going to have to get a stress ball or something. He felt like Yut Lung was just going to snark back at him again and was completely surprised when he spoke again.

“I don’t deserve the kindness you’ve given me,” Yut Lung sniffled. “I-I don’t understand it and why are you being nice to me? It’s just weird and I don’t deserve it.”

Yut Lung was actually crying now, making gross sobbing noises and sniffling like crazy.  
Even if Ash wasn’t Yut Lung’s biggest fan, he didn’t think that he didn’t deserve happiness. He felt like that piece of shit did that to him, made him feel worthless.

“Is this because of what that bastard did?” Ash asked. “If anyone can understand a little bit, I can. I know you don’t like me but I can understand.”

He felt bad for Yut Lung and this sudden urge to protect him from the world, even if it was only briefly, took over. He didn’t think twice about it when he wrapped his arm around Yut Lung’s small shoulders and pulled him in closer. He released a little of his scent to try and calm him down. Yut Lung seemed slightly uncomfortable with it at first but accepted it, even seeming to try and get closer to Ash.

“What brought this on?” Ash couldn’t help but ask. “Or have you just been thinking this from the beginning?”

He thought that Yut Lung would just ignore him and that was okay, he didn’t want to force him to answer.

“I, uh, _may_ like Shorter and that _may_ have brought it on,” Yut Lung practically whispered. Ash was shocked that he answered and even more shocked that that was the answer that came out of his mouth. “But my stupid feelings are stupid and it’s probably nothing and I _definitely_ don’t deserve him.”

Ash groaned. Of course Yut Lung liked Shorter back. It was so obvious that Shorter liked Yut lung and now they were never going to get rid of him. Though a small, _small_ part of him wanted him to never leave but someone would have to beat that out of him if they really wanted to know. 

He briefly thought about if they had talked to each other about it yet but then thought Yut Lung most likely wouldn't be here crying over it if they had. 

He also felt weird on him saying he didn’t deserve him because no, he didn’t. His best friend was too good for Yut Lung but Shorter had been making puppy dog eyes at Yut Lung since practically the beginning. But at the same time Yut Lung did deserve to be happy.

The whole thing was frustrating.

“What? Have I been that obvious?” Yut Lung asked, a faint blush on his cheeks.

“No, it’s just that… of course you like him,” Ash just sighed.

Yut Lung pushed him away then. “Well now you know? Are you going to tell Shorter?”

Ash sighed before laughing a little. “No, I’m not that mean and I won’t tell Eiji either.”

That one might be a little difficult. He wanted to tell Eiji, he told Eiji everything now. Ash didn’t want to keep secrets from him anymore.

“Thank you,” Yut Lung told him softly. He had an almost calm expression on his face, seemingly content.

“You’re welcome,” Ash smiled before patting Yut Lung shoulder. “Now, I’m gonna go back to bed because it’s early and I don’t want to be up yet.”

Ash got up then and headed back to his room where a still sleeping Eiji awaited him. When he crawled back into the bed, Eiji immediately sought him out, even in sleep, and wrapped his arms around him to hold him close.

He didn’t care if it made him seem sappy, Eiji was his world and he would do anything for him as long as he was happy. If he had to try and accept Yut Lung, he would.

He still became upset when he thought about the fact that Eiji wouldn’t have to go through this if he had never met him. If he had just left him alone and didn't try to pursue him but he couldn’t leave him alone anymore, it hurt too much to be without him. 

Ash breathed in Eiji’s sweet scent as he fell back asleep, trying to think of happier thoughts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Ash is just stressed but he'll be happy for his Eiji
> 
> If you guys want to request something, please do, if I can try and work it into the story I will. If not, I'll probably try and make a little side story for it :) I promise I won't bite hehe


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I actually took 2 parts out of here and somehow it's longer then it was originally... 
> 
> Hope you enjoy :)

Eiji had about a month to prepare for a maybe heat, if what Dr. Randy had said was right. He didn’t doubt that he and Ash were soulmates but was worried that if he didn’t have a heat when Ash had a rut, something might be wrong with him. 

He tried not to dwell on that, just focused on if everything was okay he would be having a heat with Ash while he had a rut. 

It both excited and terrified him.

Of course he knew that it would be a lot of sex but was that really it? He didn’t know much but he knew that ruts and heats were when alphas and omegas were most fertile. He now knew that male omegas could get pregnant too. 

Ash was only a little bit of help when Eiji asked about it. He wanted to know what to expect and Ash seemed almost hesitant to tell him.

“So what? Is it like sex for a week straight?” Eiji asked Ash while they were out to coffee. “Because I feel like that would be too much. Are there breaks? How does it work?”

Ash choked on his coffee, coughing some before he calmed down. “Why are you so curious?”

“Well, I want to know what to expect,” Eiji huffed. He poked his almost empty cup while pouting at Ash, hoping he would answer him.

“Uh, well, I guess?” Ash muttered. 

Eiji felt his eye twitch. He wanted to _know_.

Ash sighed before picking his coffee back up to take a sip. “Yeah, it’s a lot of sex. Mostly sex with like a few breaks in between to eat and stuff.”

“Is that what your rut is like then?” Eiji asked, leaning over the table a little. 

“Yeah, sort of,” Ash told him. “It was really uncomfortable and lasted forever. And then I was dragged out of it at the end so, not great.”

Eiji looked away. He was responsible for Ash getting interrupted at the end of his rut and while he didn’t know what it was like, he could only imagine that it was the last thing he wanted.

“Shit, um, not that I blame you!” Ash said quickly, grabbing Eiji’s hand. “I don’t blame you at all.”

Eiji smiled but he knew that he was to blame, for getting kidnapped. 

“Um, hopefully since we’re spending it together this time,” Ash said slowly, intertwining his fingers with Eiji’s. “Hopefully, it won’t last as long and won’t completely suck.”

“Oh,” Eiji said. “Are they painful by yourself?”

Ash made a face before nodding. “They can be.”

So Ash helped some, not much but some.

He didn’t even want to ask Yut Lung. He felt like he’d act all haughty about knowing more then he did but found he couldn’t help himself. Yut Lung was an omega so he knew what heats would be like.

“They suck,” Yut Lung told him honestly, laying on Eiji’s nest and picking through the clothes that were weaved throughout it much to Eiji’s dismay. He knew it was messing up his nest but continued to do it anyways.

“So they _are_ painful?” Eiji asked, falling backwards to stare at the ceiling. 

“No. Well, sort of,” Yut Lung shook his head, throwing a shirt out of the nest. It was one of Shorter’s that Eiji had snuck from their place. It made Eiji itchy, thinking about his nest being imperfect now. “They’re more unbearable then anything, especially when you don’t have anyone to spend it with. When you spend it by yourself it hurts because you can only do so much to help yourself, not like when you have a partner. But I think it also depends on the partner too. You and Ash are… gross so you’ll probably have a short one.”

Yut Lung was making faces as he talked, making Eiji roll his eyes.

“So since I’m spending it with Ash, you think it won’t hurt as bad?” Eiji asked. 

Yut Lung pushed aside the blankets in the nest and moved so he was under them. “It’s not the type of hurt you think I’m talking about. You’re going to want, in this case, Ash. It’s the want that’s going to hurt. You won’t feel good until you have him. You’re body won’t feel sated until you have his…” He pretended to gag then, making Eiji roll his eyes harder.

Eiji took it all in, trying to think of a way to relate to it but he guessed he wouldn’t really truly know until he had his heat.

“Oh, and one good thing,” Yut Lung grinned. Eiji didn’t like it when he grinned like that, it always made him think to not trust him. “You won’t need lube.”

“ _Why_?” Eiji asked, completely shocked that _that_ was what came out of his mouth.

“Because, oh clueless, innocent Eiji,” Yut Lung giggled. “You will self lubricate when you are in heat.”

“What does that even mean?” Eiji asked, making a horrified face.

“Well around your heat, I would say, and during,” Yut Lung nodded. He rolled onto his side to look at Eiji better.

“What are you talking about?” Eiji groaned. He hated when Yut Lung acted like this.

Yut Lung giggled again. “Oh young, naive Eiji. When you have a heat, in order to help make it easier, an omegas body will create slick. It makes having sex a lot easier.”

Eiji had no clue that happened, sort of taken back by this new information. 

“I, uh… I didn’t…”

Yut Lung laughed softly. “Well I’m glad I told you now and it didn’t surprise you later. Tell Ash he needs to step up talking to you.”

—

Eiji had given Ash a key to his apartment finally, telling him he could come over whenever he wanted to. Ash abused that privilege whenever he wasn’t working or had school work to do. A few times it had been late at night and he just let himself in, having _needed_ to see Eiji right _now_ , not even caring that he was asleep. 

It didn’t seem to bother Eiji, the other seemingly enjoying getting to spend more time wth him. Ash was just happy to be around the omega and get to spend time in his nest with him too.

It was late at night when Ash let himself into Eiji’s apartment, Yut Lung asleep on the couch with the tv still on. Ash went and turned it off for him. He looked at him sleep, briefly thinking he looked so peaceful before he went to Eiji’s room. As he got closer to it, he heard a soft noise coming from it, almost sounding like choked back crying.

Ash knocked on the door before slowly opening it to see Eiji sitting up in his nest, a blanket wrapped around his shoulders and crying. His scent was clearly upset but there was something more to it that he couldn’t place at the moment, too concerned with why Eiji was upset.

Ash quickly went it, closing the door. He took his shoes off before getting into the nest with Eiji.

“W-what are you d-doing here?” Eiji asked, hiccuping some as he cried.

Ash wrapped himself around Eiji, tugging his back against his chest and released some of his scent to try and relax Eiji. He didn’t know why he was crying but he wanted to try and help.

“I missed you,” Ash said softly, burying his nose in Eiji’s hair. He was right in smelling his scent was off but again he ignored it in favor of wanting to make Eiji feel better. “Will you tell me why you’re crying?”

Eiji’s shoulders shook with a sob before he huffed and laughed sadly. “It’s stupid.”

“No, just tell me,” Ash said as he rubbed Eiji’s arms gently.

Eiji made a noise before turning in Ash’s hold to kneel between Ash’s spread legs. 

Ash started wiping at the tears in on Eiji’s cheeks, Eiji leaning into the touch some before Ash kissed his nose as he finished.

“It’s because I feel so gross a-and I have this giant scar on my neck that’s _so_ ugly,” Eiji sniffled, looking away. “It’s a stupid reason to cry over but… yeah.”

Ash pulled Eiji in for a hug, kissing his temple. He understood about the scar, it wasn’t exactly beautiful looking. It was large and while it was healed, it was fairly prominent.

“It’s okay to be upset over it sometimes,” Ash said as moved away from Eiji. He looked at the scar, feeling the guilt over being the reason for it.

“And you make that face when you see it!” Eiji said suddenly, tears in his eyes again as he pointed at Ash. “Why do you have to make that face when you see it? When you see _me_?”

Ash was shocked at the outburst, blinking at Eiji. “I-I’m sorry Eiji, I didn’t realize that I was doing that, I-“

“Stop apologizing over it,” Eiji said, grabbing Ash’s hands. “It’s happened and in the past. Please just _stop_. I don’t like it and it’s ugly but it’s a part of me now.”

“Have I been making you feel like this the whole time?” Ash asked, worried. He hadn’t meant to hurt Eiji. He hated that Dino had touched Eiji in some way, especially this way but he hadn’t even realized that he was outwardly showing how much he hated it.

Eiji looked away, letting Ash’s hands go. “I… yeah. I don’t know why it’s right now that I feel this much but… yeah.”

Ash had been hurting Eiji unintentionally, that feeling even worse then the feeling he got seeing the scar. “I didn’t realize. Eiji, I’m so sorry.”

Eiji sighed. “Stop apologizing. It’s okay. Well, it’s not _okay_ but it’s… it’s okay.”

Ash wrapped Eiji in a hug again, squeezing him tightly, making Eiji laugh.  
“I can’t promise to never do it again, to not make that face but I’ll try,” Ash told him. 

Eiji was silent for a bit before moving away slightly. “Do you want to talk about it?”

“I don’t know what there is to talk about,” Ash said softly. 

“Over time, do you think you’ll get used to it then?” Eiji asked, looking slightly worried.

“I hope so,” Ash said, leaning down to kiss the scar lightly. “Because I love you and would do anything for you.”

Ash watched as Eiji blushed, his scent spiking in embarrassment and happiness. “I love you too.”

They hadn’t said that to each other yet, even though they knew how much the other meant each other. Ash was overjoyed that Eiji had said how he felt as well. Ash wanted to spend the rest of his life with Eiji so he would try for Eiji’s sake to be better.

—

After Eiji had cried that night, he had been progressively feeling worse and worse. He was cranky almost constantly, snapping at people at work if they did even the slightest thing wrong. He had also felt more emotional, which was just annoying. He had cried the other day because he accidentally dropped the peanut butter and the jar broke on the floor and he didn’t have any peanut butter now.

He felt run down too, like he didn’t have energy to do much. He really wanted to stay in his nest all day with Ash.

The only thing that made him happy was when he had seen Yut Lung getting along with Ash.

Eiji had been staring into Ash's kitchen and watching Yut Lung and Ash have an actual civil conversation with each other. He didn’t know how he felt about it, his brain not processing the situation right.

They were talking about what to eat for lunch but not arguing with each other like they usually did. It was odd to say the least.

Eiji was happy they were getting along. If he was being honest with himself, he thought it felt like a mom watching their kid make friends finally.

Eiji walked more into the kitchen, wanting a drink before he saw Yut Lung turn slightly to make eye contact with him. Yut Lung got a scowl on his face and proceeded to tell Ash that he was making the food wrong.

After Eiji got his drink, Yut Lung followed him back out into the living room.

“You and Ash seem to be getting along a little better,” Eiji hummed.

Yut Lung scowled again, shaking his head. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Eiji rolled his eyes. If they wanted to be secret about them being friendly towards each other, that was fine with him. He was glad they were able to talk without throwing insults at the other, for the most part.

When Yut Lung had been sick, he had been mostly aware of the way he was acting towards him but now, he hadn’t realized how much he was hovering over the other omega until Yut Lung snapped at him.

“Stop following me around!” Yut Lung snapped. “I have to shower. You can’t follow me in there so buzz off!”

Eiji’s eyes widened, taking a step back from him. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”

Yut Lung narrowed his eyes at him before leaning closer and sniffing him. He blinked before laughing a little. “Your heat is coming soon.”

“N-no!” Eiji stuttered. “If it’s coming, it’s not for… oh… I guess Ash’s rut is starting in about two weeks now.”

He had forgot, forgot completely that he was supposed to be getting it soon. He was so focused on how he felt the last few days, he hadn’t thought that there might be a reason behind it.

“That would explain why you’ve been so… _pleasant_ lately,” Yut Lung snickered.

“Shut up,” Eiji huffed. “I didn’t know! Is that normal for a heat?”

“To be emotional and annoying? Yes,” Yut Lung said. “I know you’ve also been complaining about how you’ve felt too. Have you been eating any different lately?”

Eiji thought about how he’d needed to go grocery shopping twice this week because he was eating so much. “Uh, yeah. I’ve been eating a lot.”

“You’re body tries to store up fat because you’ll be to preoccupied to eat a lot of the time,” Yut Lung hummed. “Wait, where are you having your heat?”

“Here… with Ash,” Eiji told him. He hadn’t told Yut Lung that part yet, had actually been avoiding it.

“So where am I supposed to go?” Yut Lung hissed.

“Shorter’s?” Eiji said tentatively.

Yut Lung went completely red before he stomped over to the bathroom, slamming the door as he went in.

The way Yut Lung acted about Shorter made Eiji think he had a little crush on him. He was always so embarrassed about him whenever he brought him up, it was kind of cute. He wouldn’t pester him about it too much though. He just thought they’d be cute together.

—

Even though Eiji knew the reason for his emotional state and the reason he felt so crappy, it didn’t make him feel any better. He was still snapping at people and felt overly emotional about stupid things.

It would make sense why he just suddenly got so emotional over the scar, though he had felt like that before he just hadn’t said anything about it.

He was currently on the couch with Yut Lung watching one of those depressing commercials about hungry children. He knew he shouldn’t be watching it but he couldn’t change the channel. As the depressing music played, he felt an ache in his chest for those children.

It made him want one of his own to nurture and love.

Then he was crying softly, the tears just flowing, Eiji unable to stop them.

“Gross, what are you doing?” Yut Lung asked as he turned to look at Eiji.

“Those poor children just need a home,” Eiji hiccuped. “I could provide a home for them, a roof over their head.”

Yut Lung made a face at him. “ _What_? No, Eiji, you couldn’t.”

“What if I had a baby?” Eiji asked, tears running down his cheeks. He wouldn’t mind that. A little baby that looked like him…and Ash! It’d be so cute and Ash would be a great father.

“No, you don’t want a baby,” Yut Lung shook his head. “It’s just your hormones talking. You won’t be thinking that way once your heat is done.”

Eiji continued to cry, frustrated at his emotions and sad because those children needed a good, loving home that _he could definitely provide_.

Yut Lung changed the channel, seemingly annoyed at Eiji’s response.

“But-“

“No, calm down,” Yut Lung huffed. “And please stop crying. It’s gross.”

Eiji sniffled, wiping his eyes with his sleeves. “Would you at least get me something to eat?”

Yut Lung groaned, getting up with the remote. He came back a few minutes later wth a tub of ice cream and a spoon, shoving it at Eiji. “Here, eat your feelings.”

Eiji happily did so, forgetting briefly about the way he had felt earlier.

—

As the week progressed, Eiji seemed to get worse. He was constantly tired and he became hysterical over the smallest things. It was really messing with him and he was sort of hating it.

Ash had noticed too, commenting on Eiji’s behavior.

“You seem… irritable lately,” Ash said slowly.

They were at Ash’s apartment, in Ash’s bed about to go to sleep when Ash brought it up.

Eiji felt himself get angry, though he didn’t quite know what about. “ _And_?” Eiji snapped at him. Why had he said it like that? Yes, he was more emotional lately but that didn't mean he had to point it out like that.

He watched as Ash’s eyes widened, sitting up in bed. He leaned down to sniff at Eiji, which made Eiji angrier for some reason and he tried to push him away.

“You’re heats starting soon,” Ash said softly. “I can smell it.”

Eiji sat up then too, crossing his arms. “Yes.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Ash asked, looking a little hurt.

Eiji actually didn’t have an answer for that. The only thing he could think of was his attitude lately had made him act the way he did.

“I’m sorry,” Eiji bit his lip. He suddenly felt bad for acting the way he did, Ash didn't deserve that. “I don’t know why I didn’t tell you but yeah, it’s starting soon.”

Ash sighed but hugged Eiji close, Eiji able to tell he was inhaling his scent. “You smell really nice. I can’t believe that _I_ didn’t notice anything sooner. I kinda suck.”

“No, you don’t suck!” Eiji said quickly. “I should have told you but I didn’t.”

“It’s fine,” Ash shrugged. “But if your heat is soon, then that means my rut is too. We should get those injections soon.”

Eiji sighed. A little tiny part of him wanted a baby but he knew that was the omega in him talking. He shouldn’t have a baby right now. He shouldn’t.

The day Eiji got the injection, Ash had a doctors appointment of his own so they weren’t able to go together.

Instead he went with Yut Lung, who complained the entire time.

“I don’t know why you had to bring me with you,” Yut Lung huffed, slumping in his chair. They were in the waiting room, a few people also waiting with them. “You could have just done this alone.”

“Well, I’m _sorry_ ,” Eiji grumbled, crossing his arms. “I’m nervous if you can’t tell and I couldn’t bring Ash with me so… you were the only other option.”

“You could have brought the loud one,” Yut Lung rolled his eyes.

Eiji sighed before he watched as a woman walked in with a small child in her arms. She sat a ways away from them but Eiji couldn’t take his eyes off the baby.

He wanted to hold a baby of his own, one that he had made. He stared until she looked up at him, frowning when she realized he was staring. She turned away slightly, seemingly protective over the child that grabbed at her hair.

Eiji looked away quickly, feeling bad about staring but he couldn’t help the want that he felt for a child. He wanted to go over and scoop the child up in his arms to coo at it.

It felt like he had an emptiness inside of him that he hadn’t known before but he knew a child would fix that. He could just not get the shot and say he did… that might make Ash mad though.

He couldn’t _not_ get the shot. He had too.

“Eiji Okumura?” he heard someone say.

He snapped out of his thoughts, standing up and following the nurse but not before grabbing Yut Lung’s wrist and dragging him with.

“Are you really that scared of a needle?” Yut Lung huffed as he was dragged down the hall with Eiji.

“Just please come with,” Eiji sighed.

The nurse brought him into a room, telling him to take a seat while she got the injection.

“Why haven’t you had a heat since you’ve been here?” Eiji asked Yut Lung, curious.

Yut Lung just crossed his arms as he took a seat in a chair near the exam table Eiji was seated on. “It’s none of your business.”

Eiji sighed. He was never able to get out of Yut Lung much about his omega side, not even having seen what he looked like as a were. He wondered what he looked like as a snake and if he’d be big or small.

“Fine,” Eiji grumbled.

“Okay,” the nurse said as she came back in, a tray with a syringe on it in hand. She placed it on the table next to Eiji. “I need you to roll up your sleeve, lets go with your non dominant hand.”

Eiji did as she said, rolling up his sleeve. 

The nurse smiled at him before grabbing an alcohol wipe to clean the area before she grabbed the needle. “Okay, I’m going to count to three. You can look away if you want. Just so you know it might sting a bit.”

Eiji looked over at Yut Lung who actually gave him a small smile. 

“Alright, one, two-“ and then she stuck the needle in.

“Ow!” Eiji yelped, flinching from the sting. The needle didn’t seem to hurt as much as the pain that spread through his arm did. 

He noticed Yut Lung glaring at the nurse as she gave him the injection.

“Sorry, it’s usually easier to do it that way so you don’t flinch away at three,” the nurse apologized. She grabbed a bandage, placing it over the injection sight. “You’ll be sore there for probably the day. The pain is gone now right?”

Eiji nodded, the sharp sting gone. He rubbed his arm and felt what she meant. It felt sore and he knew he shouldn’t touch it.

“If you have any questions, please call us,” she said. “You can see yourselves out though. Have a great day.”

As they left, Yut Lung sticking close to Eiji now, they past the woman with the baby. She must have been an omega, the sweet smell coming from her giving it away though there was something maternal about the scent. The second she saw Eiji though her scent turned territorial, glaring at him and clutching her baby close.

Eiji walked quicker, feeling bad. He was still itching to hold the baby, to have one of his own but he had made the woman feel uncomfortable and he felt bad over that.

“Stop staring at the baby,” Yut Lung snapped, yanking Eiji the rest of the way out of the office.

“Was I being that obvious?” Eiji asked, biting his lip.

“ _Yes_ ,” Yut Lung snapped at him. “Your scent reeks of… maternal want. It’s disgusting.”

“It’s because of my heat that’s coming, right?” Eiji asked as they walked out of the building.

“Yeah, it’s the omega in you wanting to get pregnant,” Yut Lung sighed. 

Eiji stared at Yut Lung for a moment. “So when you have your heat, does that happen to you too? The want to have a baby?”

Yut Lung opened his mouth before snapping it shut, glaring at Eiji. “Drop it.”

Eiji sighed but wrapped his arm around Yut Lung’s waist and pulled him in close. “Fine, don’t talk about it. But let me hold you at least.”

Yut Lung wiggled but gave in quickly, letting Eiji keep his arm around his waist as they left. Eiji could smell a mixture of happiness and sadness coming from Yut Lung, confusing him but he didn’t want to ask since he was afraid it would upset him.

Since he couldn’t hold the baby, he made due with Yut Lung even if he was visibly embarrassed by the way Eiji was fawning over him. He didn’t let the other go until they were in the car.

“You _scented_ me like I’m your kid or something,” Yut Lung made a disgusted noise. “Why?”

Eiji blinked, buckling his seat belt. He hadn’t even realized he was doing that. “Sorry… I didn’t mean too.”

“I’m not your child,” Yut Lung huffed, his face bright red and it seemed like a smile was trying to make it’s way on his face.

Eiji smiled though. He could tell by the way Yut Lung smelled that he was happy, even if he was being a little bit of a brat at the moment.

—

Ash had dreaded coming into the doctor. He had a feeling he was just going to get a talking too once again. His doctor had asked to meet with him before his next rut to talk about how his last rut had went and to make sure he got the injection.

“Ash Lynx?” a nurse said.

He stood up, following her as he went back into an exam room.

“If you could please put on the gown, Dr. Lobo will be in shortly,” she smiled before leaving.

Ash sighed, changing out of his clothes and putting the gown on. He didn’t have to wait long before his doctor showed up, Ash slumping on the exam table.

“I forgot you were my next appointment,” Dr. Max Lobo said as he walked in, taking a seat on the stool in front of the exam table.

He looked tired as he opened up Ash’s chart.

Ash had known Max for a long time, since he had been saved from Dino’s. Max had been the doctor to check him when he was freed from Dino. Ash hadn’t liked him at first but he was easy going and friendly so he ended up using him as a primary doctor.

“How’ve you been then Ash?” he asked.

“Uh, fine,” Ash said, fiddling with his gown. It was itchy and he hated wearing it. “You know, the same as usual.”

Max narrowed his eyes at him. “You got me in trouble, young man.”

Ash snickered, looking away. “You got yourself in trouble.”

“No, definitely not,” Max shook his head, glaring at Ash. “My ex wife called here and screamed at a receptionist until she was able to scream at me about how I’m ‘practicing bad medicine’.”

Ash did think it was slightly funny that he got yelled at, he did feel bad but it was funny. “You were the one that let me be on suppressants so long. It’s your own fault.”

“Yes, I was the one that did that but only because you begged me,” Max grumbled. “I know you hate your ruts but they’re a part of who you are so you _must_ go through them.”

“Yes, yes, I know,” Ash huffed. “Can we get this exam over with?”

Max laughed but nodded. He looked down at the chart and his eyebrows shot up. “You’re asking for a birth control injection? Are you spending it with someone?”

“Yes, what’s it to you?” Ash grumbled.

“I need to know because I’m your doctor,” Max rolled his eyes. “Is it with an omega then?”

“Yeah,” Ash nodded. “We’re both getting a birth control injection. We’ll most likely have our rut and heat at the same time.”

“You know, I wondered why Jessica had known,” Max sighed. “She wouldn’t tell me of course. So you turned this omega?”

Ash shook his head, looking away. “Dino turned him.”

Max blinked before setting the chart down on a counter behind him. “Have you seen him recently then?”

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Fine,” Max said, standing up. “You don’t have to. Let’s talk about this omega then. You’re spending their heat and your rut together. They’re getting an injection too. That’s good.” Max went and grabbed the chart again, reading through it. “You’re scheduled for another rut in about a week, right?”

“Yeah,” Ash nodded.

“When is your omega’s heat?” Max asked as he leaned against the counter.

“Well… we told her we think we’re soulmates and she said that his heat was waiting for my rut so they would sync up,” Ash said slowly. “Do... you think that too?”

Ash liked the idea that they would be able to go through it at the same time.

“Yeah, that is a thing that happens,” Max nodded. “So are they showing signs then?”

“Definitely,” Ash laughed. “He’s a mess. He’s getting his injection today too.”

“Okay well… sounds like things are going right on track,” Max smiled. “Now, how was your last rut? Normal from the past ones?”

Ash made a face. He didn’t like to think about it. It was unbearable. He knew Eiji at the time and he remembered he wanted to be with him, to spend it with him but at the same time he knew they shouldn’t. 

“It was okay I guess,” Ash huffed. “I remember it was really difficult though, spending it by myself.”

Max nodded, taking some notes. 

They talked about how his rut went for a bit before a nurse brought in the injection.

“So, how long have you known this boy?” Max grinned as he cleaned off where he was going to put the injection.

“Why does it matter to you, old man?” Ash huffed.

Max just rolled his eyes before taking the syringe and didn’t even warn him, just injected him with it.

“What the hell? That hurt!” Ash huffed, jerking away from Max’s hold.

“Yeah, well you can be a baby so I didn’t tell you,” Max snickered.

Ash continued to glare at him as he put a bandage over it.

“Okay, we’re all done I think,” Max hummed, throwing some things in the trash.

Ash blinked down at the gown he was wearing. “Why did the nurse make me put on this itchy thing if you weren’t even going to do an exam?”

“Because I know you hate it,” Max grinned.

Ash felt his eye twitch before he growled lowly at the doctor.

“So scary,” Max laughed. “I think that’s all for the day. Remember I want to see you after this rut to see how things are going still.” Max went up and hugged Ash, Ash stiffening slightly before accepting the hug. He had known Max for a long time, so he didn’t find it out of the ordinary for this to happen.

“Have a fun rut,” Max grinned as let go of Ash and he walked out of the room.

Ash wished he had something to throw at him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So NayNay515 gave me the idea for a more emotional and baby wanting Eiji as he's going into heat. As his heat gets closer, it'll get worse for poor Eiji  
> And just imagine what it'll be like if Yut Lung and Eiji _both_ have a heat at the same time


	23. Chapter 23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like I disappeared O.o  
> I was so busy last week and didn't have any motivation for anything so I'm sorry it took longer to come out with an update! Thank you guys for your patience!
> 
> Hopefully you'll enjoy this ;)

Eiji dropped Yut Lung off at their apartment before heading over to Ash’s after his doctors appointment. His arm felt sore from the shot and he kept rubbing at it as he drove over.

It must have been the omega in him but he had a hard time leaving Yut Lung, wanting to bring him with. Well, he really wanted to nest with everyone, the whole pack. That would make him really happy. Eiji knew that while Yut Lung and Ash were getting better that didn’t mean that they would want to be close like that.

As he made his way up to Ash’s apartment, he thought once again about if he had a baby. He had never thought so much about having one in the past but the fact that his heat was approaching made him want one. The baby at the doctors office really messed with him. He just wanted to hold one of his own, one that was a perfect mixture of him and Ash.

He wondered what Ash’s opinion was on a baby, if he’d want one in the future.

Logically, he knew he should not have a baby right now. He was too young and lived in a one bedroom apartment with someone who lived in his living room. Someone who was refusing to get a job so Eiji had to pay for everything.

He wasn’t upset about that at all.

Ash had let him have a key a long time ago, probably when he gave Ash a key to his own apartment, so he just let himself in.

He could hear movement from Ash’s room so he went there in search for him, finding Ash once again pulling things from his closet and shoving them onto his bed and making a huge mess.

“Are you making a nest?” Eiji asked, not even saying hello.

Ash looked over at Eiji guiltily as he set an armful of clothes onto his bed. “Uh…”

“I thought you wanted to spend it at my apartment?” Eiji frowned. For some reason the fact that it seemed like Ash didn’t want to spend it in his nest made him upset. Though most things did lately so he tried to not get too upset over it.

“No, I do,” Ash said quickly, going over to Eiji and giving him a quick kiss on the cheek. Eiji glared at him, feeling like he was being lied to. “I promise I do but I also have that instinct to nest now too because of my rut. So even though I know that I’m not spending it here, I can’t not make one.”

Eiji relaxed then, nodding. If Ash was so concerned about making a nest, why not make the nest at his place then? “Why don’t you stay with me then? You were going to spend the week at my place for it anyways so why not just temporarily move in now?”

Ash grinned, kissing Eiji quickly. “I would love that.”

“Yut Lung will hate it,” Eiji laughed. 

Eiji left Ash to get whatever he wanted packed to bring to his place to call Yut Lung and tell him.

“What?” Yut Lung answered the phone.

“Well hello to you too,” Eiji huffed. When Yut Lung didn’t say anything he just continued. “So Ash is going to be coming over and staying until after the end of our heat/rut. I just wanted to warn you because we’re coming over shortly to bring his things over.”

Yut Lung was silent before Eiji heard a hiss on the other end. “ _Fine_.”

“Don’t get snarky with me, Yut Lung,” Eiji told him.

“You’re not my _mom_ ,” Yut Lung snapped back at him.

Just then Shorter came into the living room, grinning at Eiji. “Are you on the phone with Yut Lung?”

Eiji nodded before Shorter grabbed him in a hug and yelled into the phone, “Yut Lung you should come over here now that the love birds are spending time together!”

“Ow,” Eiji winced.

“I’m coming over,” Yut Lung told Eiji. 

“Oh, that was fast. Is it because of Shorter?” Eiji teased.

“Shut up!” Yut Lung yelled before the line went dead.

Eiji laughed, Shorter letting him go. 

“Is he coming over?” Shorter grinned. 

Eiji rolled his eyes. “Yeah, you’ve convinced him.”

Eiji could smell from Shorter’s scent and the huge grin on his face that he was happy about it.

Yut Lung got there before they were done getting Ash’s things ready, his own things in tow.

“Did you bring everything you own?” Ash laughed at him.

Yut Lung dumped his things on the couch, glaring at Ash and making a mess.

“You didn’t walk here with all those things, right?” Eiji asked, walking over to Yut Lung. He worried about Yut Lung walking with his things and getting robbed. Though he could probably handle himself but… he just worried about him in general.

“No, I used your Lyft app,” Yut Lung said as he sat on the couch.

“You… how did you figure out the password?” Eiji stared at him.

Yut Lung just shrugged, taking his phone out to look at.

Eiji rolled his eyes, going back into Ash’s room with him. They had just grabbed a suitcase they found and started to shove everything that Ash and now Eiji wanted to make a nest. Eiji found he wanted the blankets the most.

“Are we going to just bring over everything you own?” Eiji asked. He found he didn’t mind if that was the case, his nest would just smell more like him.

“You’re the one that asked for my blankets on top of everything else,” Ash huffed.

They got everything together soon after that, going and putting it in Eiji’s car. Before they left, Yut Lung went and hugged Eiji tightly, making Eiji actually sad that he wasn’t going to be living with him for a bit. He would probably see him in the next few days but he would miss him while he wasn’t able to during his heat. It actually made him sad and then he was actually crying.

“Oh my god, please stop it,” Yut Lung told him, trying to pull out of Eiji’s grip now. “It’s only for 2 weeks. Come on.”

“But I’m gonna miss you!” Eiji cried. He couldn’t help it. He wanted to take Yut Lung with and bundle him up in his nest to keep there.

“Okay, lets get Eiji home,” Ash said, helping pull Eiji away.

Shorter went and pulled Yut Lung away from Eiji as well, not letting Eiji grab at him again.

Eiji was now mad that Shorter seemed to be the one to be taking Yut Lung away from him. In his mind, it was like he was taking his baby away.

“Be good to him Shorter,” Eiji growled.

Eiji watched as Shorter’s eyes went wide before Ash steered him out of the apartment.

“What was that about?” Ash asked as they were going down to his car. 

Eiji didn’t want to leave Yut Lung, even if it was with Shorter. He knew Shorter would take care of him but he felt like _he_ needed to be the person that did that.

“I miss him already,” Eiji huffed. “I don’t want to leave him.”

“He’ll be fine,” Ash said rubbing Eiji’s back before getting into the car.

The drive over to Eiji’s was quiet, Eiji feeling tired. By the time they got their, he wanted to be in his nest and curled up with Ash. It was barely noon but he wanted to just sleep with him.

They brought all of Ash’s things into Eiji’s apartment, putting them straight into Eiji’s room to start putting them into his nest.

It took a long time but they eventually made it interwoven with both their scents. Eiji had to get rid of some of the things in the nest already to make room, which made him cry because he thought Ash hated the nest but he eventually realized that they couldn’t keep everything in it.

Being this emotional was getting exhausting for him. He had cried twice that day and it was taking a toll on him.

When the nest was completed he pushed Ash into it and pulled blankets around the two of them.

“It’s still the afternoon Eiji,” Ash laughed. “Come on, we should eat.”

“No, I wanna stay in here,” Eiji complained.

The nest smelled so nice, like the two of them combined with a little of Yut Lung and Shorter’s scents in their as well. Eiji just wanted to stay in the nest now, it was so comfortable and smelled so inviting especially now that he had Ash in there with him.

—

A few days later and Eiji didn’t want to get out of his nest anymore. His body felt awful and being out of the comfort of it made him feel even worse for some reason. So he called in to work until his heat, saying that he would try and work on things from home. The amount of things that he would be able to get done was probably nothing but he would try.

Ash was very nice and would rub his back for him when he especially felt gross, letting his scent take over to comfort him.

They currently thought that Eiji’s heat would start in a couple of days right on track with Ash’s rut. It was becoming unbearable for him to be away from Ash though. He wanted to be near the alpha constantly. It made him feel so needy but he found he couldn’t help it.

He was currently curled up in the nest, munching on crackers because he didn’t want anything that Ash had bought for them a few days ago, with his laptop playing some tv show he couldn’t pay attention too. 

He was simultaneously too hot and too cold, every few minutes kicking the covers off of him and then burying himself back under them. It was becoming more annoying the way his body was and he wanted to get it over with.

One thing that he was very adamantly ignoring was the fact that he was almost constantly turned on. It was little things that seemed to trigger it too. He had watched Ash cook him dinner the night before and he got turned on for no apparent reason. When Ash kissed him good bye this morning, just a peck on the cheek, he suddenly wanted to jump him. So he just burrowed further into the nest and told Ash to leave, Ash giving a weird look as he left.

He knew that Ash could probably smell him so he was being stupid trying to hide it but the fact that he was like this because of his heat made him want to hide it. The whole point of a heat and a rut was to have sex so he knew that he shouldn’t try to hide it at all but it was still so new to him that he couldn’t really help it.

The crackers were getting to be too much so he closed the box, pushing it until it fell to the floor. After that he tried to focus on the show playing but he couldn’t. He had rolled onto his side, his hips now pressing against the nest not helping his problem. 

He turned onto his back and kicked the covers off of him again, too hot now. He was only in a t-shirt and boxers, his boxers now tented because of his straining cock.

Eiji had been ignoring it but no amount of ignoring would make it go away now. He slid his hand under his boxers, wrapping his hand around his cock, sighing at how good it felt to give himself some relief.

There was a wet spot on the front of his boxers where he was already leaking. He bit back a soft moan as he moved his hand up, his thumb smearing some of the pre come on the head of his cock.

Eiji stopped paying attention to anything other then what he was doing after that. He felt like he had been on edge for the last day and it felt so good to finally get some relief.

When he felt himself getting close, he smelled Ash’s scent. It wasn’t like the scent that was in his nest though, it smelled like it was close and aroused.

He turned his head to the door and saw Ash standing there with his pupils blown and his scent heavy with arousal.

“A-ash,” Eiji stuttered, taking his hand away from his cock even though he really didn’t want too. It was sticky since he was practically leaking pre come.

Ash didn’t say anything as he walked closer but Eiji could tell by his scent that he was turned on too.

Ash climbed onto the bed with Eiji, kneeling over him and pulling the other in for a kiss.

Eiji immediately leaned into it, groaning when he felt Ash press his body against his. He didn’t care for sweet at the moment and Ash didn’t seem to either, biting at Eiji’s lips.

When they finally broke a part, Eiji gasping when Ash moved to bite at his neck, his head felt dizzy with how fast Ash’s scent was becoming aroused. 

Ash moved until he was between Eiji’s legs, his fingers tracing down one of them until he was at the hem of his boxers and snuck his fingers under.

“What brought this on Eiji?” Ash hummed, leaning down to kiss Eiji again.

Eiji groaned when he felt that Ash was just as aroused as he was, now grinding against him slowly.

“I-I don’t k-know,” Eiji stuttered out. He was having a hard time thinking now, Ash’s scent messing with him. He was already so turned on and the fact that he was so close before was making him desperate to come.

“Want me to help?” Ash asked, grinning. 

Eiji cock was now peeking out under his boxers, dripping onto his stomach. It twitched at Ash’s words, Eiji wanting that very much. Ash teased Eiji’s cock by gently tracing it, making Eiji squirm.

“Don’t be mean,” Eiji whined. 

“Okay, okay,” Ash said as he pulled Eiji’s boxers off.

Eiji wasn’t prepared for what Ash did next. He bent down and licked up Eiji’s straining cock before kissing the head. Eiji couldn’t take it anymore and came right on Ash’s face, moaning softly.

He felt awful then. Ash’s face was completely covered in his come, some even in his hair.

Eiji quickly sat up and yanked a shirt out of the nest to try and clean him off.

“I’m so sorry,” Eiji apologized. “I-I didn’t mean too.”

“It’s okay,” Ash laughed, letting Eiji clean him up. “You should probably not give that back to the snake though.”

Eiji frowned and looked at what he was holding. It was Yut Lung’s shirt that he had grabbed from the nest. He was going to be so mad, he couldn’t give it back now.

“So did that help?” Ash asked as Eiji as he tossed the set aside.

Eiji was still flushed but he felt himself get warmer from the question. He felt like that had helped get rid of the need though he felt like it was there, just simmering now.

“Yeah, I-I’m sorry about that,” Eiji said.

Ash actually laughed at him, kissing Eiji’s nose. “It’s okay, don’t apologize. I know that your heat is close so you’re going to feel like that a lot.”

Eiji scrunched up his nose, not necessarily liking that. He felt like it was all so overwhelming, like he just needed. 

Eiji looked down and saw that Ash was still hard, feeling bad that he hadn’t help at all. “Let me help you at least,” Eiji said.

“No,” Ash said firmly, grabbing Eiji’s hands as he made to unbutton his jeans.

“But-“

“It’s fine, Eiji,” Ash interrupted, shaking his head.

Eiji sighed, looking away before looking back to see that his come was drying in Ash’s hair. “You should probably go shower or something then,” Eiji told Ash, pointing at Ash’s hair.

Ash made a face before getting out of Eiji’s bed and leaving the room.

Eiji was frustrated again but for a different reason now. Why wouldn’t Ash let him touch him? It wasn’t like they hadn’t before. They had had sex before so it really shouldn’t have been a big deal.

Ash came out of the shower a little later, no longer smelling aroused but clean and like Eiji’s shampoo.

“Why did you come home so early?” Eiji asked, sitting on the couch now, watching Ash walk over to him and sit next to him. 

Ash rubbed a towel in his hair, trying to dry it. “I was done early and I felt kind of gross and I wanted to see you.”

Eiji smiled at that, crawling over to Ash and leaning into his side. “I missed you too.”

“Clearly,” Ash teased.

Eiji blushed, rubbing his forehead on Ash’s shoulder. “Stop being mean.”

Ash just chuckled, wrapping an arm around Eiji’s shoulders. 

Eiji leaned into the touch, feeling his eyes drift shut. He started to purr after a bit before he fell asleep.

He woke up with a jolt a little later, now in his bed sleeping with Ash. He had a dream about Yut Lung and he suddenly really wanted to speak with him. It felt like his body was craving the other omega, just wanting to make sure that he was okay. He knew deep down that Yut Lung was okay, he was with Shorter but his instincts were telling him to check on him.

Eiji climbed over Ash who was dead asleep and grabbed his phone from his nightstand before going into the living room.

Eiji saw that it was kind of late but he couldn’t help but call the other, needing to hear his voice.

The phone rang a few times before he got a very annoyed, “What?” on the other line.

“H-hi,” Eiji bit his lip. “I’m sorry it’s so late but I couldn’t resist calling to make sure that…”

He trailed off, embarrassed by what he wanted to say.

Yut Lung huffed on the other line before Eiji heard movement and a door close. “I know you miss me but I’m fine. You’re not my parent and you don’t need to worry over me every second of the day. I’m doing just fine.”

Eiji sat on the couch, thinking about how it smelled like Yut Lung. “I know but I can’t help it. It’s like… like you’re-“

“I know,” Yut Lung interrupted. “I… I don’t mind that you think of me like that. I get it. It’s your hormones going a little crazy and amplifying how you feel. You won’t feel like that when your heat passes.”

Eiji made an annoyed noise. He didn’t like when Yut Lung told him how he was feeling. He didn’t _know_ , he couldn’t read his mind.

“I miss you too Eiji,” Yut Lung said softly. “Just let your heat pass and have lots of sex with that boyfriend of yours.”

Eiji didn’t even get to respond before Yut Lung hung up on him. He could only imagine how Yut Lung was feeling, not liking to say his feelings. It made him tear up and he was sad once again.

He brought his legs up so that he could wrap his arms around them, resting his cheek on his knee as he cried silently, not wanting to wake up Ash. He knew that he wouldn’t wake up regardless.

He could see Yut Lung whenever he wanted so he didn’t know why he was so affected by his absence. Maybe it was just because he didn’t have excess to him whenever he wanted. Either way he missed the other omega.

Eiji was hungry and horny almost simultaneously after he felt his tears dry up. He decided to ignore how his dick twitched when he thought about how Ash was just in the other room in favor of going into the kitchen and finding something quick to make. He settled on left overs from a few nights before, not even bothering heating them up.

When he was done, he decided to head back to bed. Ash was still asleep, snoring softly. He had moved in his sleep, shoving his nose in Eiji’s pillow and curling his arms around it.

Eiji felt something go through him as he thought about Ash liking his scent but he tried ignoring it. It was time for sleep and not time for trying to jump Ash while he was asleep.

Eiji climbed back over Ash, shoving him a little so he could get his pillow back before letting Ash curl back around him.

The movement must have woken him up because he felt lips against his forehead before he heard Ash yawn.

“Were you getting back into bed just now?”

Eiji hummed, kissing Ash’s throat. “Yeah, I couldn’t sleep and I was hungry.”

Ash’s scent was so nice and Eiji wasn’t even surprised with himself anymore when he felt his hips press against Ash’s.

“Really?” Ash laughed.

Eiji huffed, nipping Ash’s throat and smiling when he felt him shutter slightly. 

Ash rolled them so that Eiji was straddling him now, his hand roaming under his shirt and up Eiji’s back. “Do you want me to help you again?”

Eiji did, he really did but he remembered earlier when Ash wouldn’t let him reciprocate and that made him frown. “No, I wanna get you off.”

Ash bit his lip before shaking his head. “Come on, let me just make you feel good.”

Eiji narrowed his eyes at Ash. He was a fool for letting him have the upper hand by moving him on top, Eiji grabbing Ash’s wrists and pinning them above his head. “Why not? I’ve seen your dick before. Why are you being weird about this?”

Ash narrowed his eyes right back at Eiji. Eiji could tell if Ash tried, he could probably get free of the hold but he liked that Ash was letting him have the upper hand for the moment.

“I just don’t want to right now, okay?”

Eiji blinked before he sat back on Ash’s hips, letting the alpha’s wrists go. Oh, now that he was an omega Ash didn’t want him? He could smell his own scent turn sour and upset thinking about that.  
Ash sat up, able to smell and see that Eiji was upset since he had tears in his eyes once again.

“Eiji, I’m sorry,” Ash said softly, wiping at the tears. “I feel like I keep making you cry and I don’t mean to.”

“Do you not like me?” Eiji asked, letting his shoulders slump.

Ash smelled almost mad to Eiji now, making him flinch.

“That’s not it,” Ash said quickly, kissing Eiji’s cheeks. “Of course I like you.”

“Then what’s the problem?” Eiji huffed

Ash sighed. “So I know that when I had my last rut we did stuff before but you weren’t turned yet and didn’t smell like an omega and I feel like you’ll be weirded out when I tell you this and-“

“Just tell me.” He didn’t like hearing Ash ramble, it didn’t suit him really.

“Fine, fine. Well, alpha’s have a knot on their dicks to help get the other pregnant and they only happen during or around a rut,” Ash explained though he was looking over Eiji’s shoulder as he said this. “Last time during my rut it didn’t happen but I feel like that was because you weren’t even a were and didn’t really have that much of a scent. But now you smell so good and I know that it’ll happen regardless of what I do to try to not get one. I just didn’t want to weird you out.”

“O-okay,” Eiji said, frowning. “You didn’t want me to touch you because of that?”

Ash nodded, finally looking at Eiji again.

“That’s dumb,” Eiji told him. “I like you for who you are and not because of that. It’ll probably be weird but I’ll get used to it. What were you gonna do during when we were actually having sex?”

Eiji watched as Ash blushed slightly. “Hope you were too out of it to realize.”

Eiji snorted. “I feel better now at least.”

Ash laughed before flopping back down. “Better enough to kiss me?”

Eiji laughed and leaned over Ash to kiss him. His scent quickly took over, the only thing Eiji able to smell, his head slightly dizzy once again.

He didn’t realize he as grinding against Ash until he felt Ash grab his hips to hold him still and feel him grind up against him.

Eiji let out a moan, burying his nose into Ash’s neck now to inhale his scent. When Ash had started to help Eiji grind his hips into him, he felt it. Something drip down his thigh, making him freeze.

“Eiji?” Ash asked his voice slightly lower then usual.

“I-I think that…” Eiji bit his lip, burying his face further in Ash’s neck, completely embarrassed. He didn’t think his heat had started but he was definitely wet where he hadn’t been before.

“Are you okay?” Ash asked. 

Eiji nodded his head after a moment before grabbing one of Ash’s hands and bringing it to the inside of his legs, moving it up until he knew that Ash could feel the slick leaking out of him slowly.

“Oh…”

Eiji made an embarrassed noise before trying to move away now. Ash wouldn’t let him though, holding the omega firmly on his lap. He worked Eiji’s boxers down, Eiji protesting but not doing anything to stop him before he felt Ash dip into the slick that was building up.

Eiji didn’t know what to feel. He was so turned on, he couldn’t help that, but he was also so embarrassed because he was leaking slick from his ass which had never happened before.

“You must be-“

“Please don’t say it,” Eiji groaned, hearing Ash chuckle against him. Ash pulled him in for a kiss, distracting him before Eiji felt him press his finger against his hole. He bit Ash’s lip but didn’t tell him to stop.

Eiji was licking at Ash’s lips to try and soothe them when he felt the tip of Ash’s finger dip in, so easily since he was so turned on. Eiji moaned, his hips wiggling back slightly on Ash’s finger but being the mean person he was, he took his hand away completely.

“Ash,” Eiji whined, moving back to stare down at his smirking boyfriends face.

“Say please,” Ash teased before digging his fingers into the meat of Eiji’s ass and grinding his own hard cock up into Eiji’s.

Eiji choked on a moan as his hips stuttered toward the friction but he wanted Ash’s fingers back. “P-please?”

Ash chuckled. “I guess.”

His finger was back to pressing into Eiji’s slick hole, meeting no resistant and thrusting in.

Eiji felt like this was all he wanted at the moment. He just wanted Ash. He was embarrassed by the slick but that was quickly fading with his want. He couldn’t imagine what it’d be like when he was actually in heat, how it could be _more_ then what he was experiencing right now.

Ash pressed a second finger in not long after, Eiji letting out a moan at that and and mouthing at Ash’s neck once again. His neck was going to look like such a mess at the end of this.

The noises were obscene, the squelching from Ash thrusting his fingers in and out of Eiji, making Eiji feel self conscious but that quickly went away with the pleasure he was feeling. 

“I-I wanna… I wanna come,” Eiji moaned into Ash’s neck.

Ash curled his fingers then and wrapped his other hand around Eiji’s cock, making Eiji gasp before he came all over Ash’s stomach. Ash helped him through it, Eiji basically collapsing onto Ash when he was done. 

“Did that feel good?” Ash asked, Eiji able to hear the grin in his voice even if he wasn’t able to see his face as he ran his fingers up and down Eiji’s back.

“You know it did,” Eiji huffed, pinching Ash’s arm,

Ash laughed before squirming a little. It made Eiji realize that Ash was still hard. He wanted to help but he was afraid that Ash wouldn’t let him again.

“You made a mess,” Ash hummed, bringing his hand up to show Eiji the amount of slick on his hand. He pinched his fingers together before spreading them and a web of slick connecting them.

Eiji wrinkled his nose at that. “Stop it.”

Ash laughed before moving Eiji onto the nest. He wiped his hands on a shirt in the nest, uncaring of if it got dirty.

Eiji shifted, feeling the slick still between his legs, making him uncomfortable.

When he pulled Ash in for a kiss he expected him to protest but he didn’t, Ash threading his fingers through Eiji’s short hair. He trailed his hand down Ash’s chest until he got to the waistband of the shorts he was wearing, spreading his hand so he could feel the hardness there.

Ash let out a soft noise against Eiji’s lips, shifting slightly and then he was taking his shorts off and letting Eiji wrap his hand around him.

Eiji started moving his hand slowly, letting Ash messily kiss him at the same time.

Ash was leaking so much, making it easy for Eiji to stroke him.

Eiji thought briefly about the knot that Ash had talked about, so far he didn’t feel anything. That was until Ash let out a louder moan and stopped Eiji’s hand from moving, holding it at the base of his cock. 

Eiji paused before staring down in between them. Ash was tightening his grip, Eiji now able to feel it. The knot was smaller then he thought but he could feel that it was expanding in his hand.

“Does it hurt?” Eiji asked, squeezing lightly.

Ash made a noise and then shook his head, now letting go of Eiji’s hand. “It’s just a lot.”

It was definitely a different feeling from what he was used too, the knot seeming to get bigger as he squeezed. Ash didn’t seem to want him to move his hand from the knot so he squeezed and used his other hand to stroke Ash’s cock. 

Ash was moaning softly, burying his face in Eiji’s neck and rolling his hips with Eiji’s strokes.  
Eiji rubbed his legs together, the slick still messy between his legs. He felt his own cock twitch in interest, Ash moaning so close to his ear it was effecting him.

Eiji sped up his hand when it sounded like Ash was getting close, both his hands now sticky.

Ash groaned lowly in Eiji’s ear as he came, Eiji slowing his strokes to a stop but left his other hand squeezing the knot.

Eiji let Ash calm down, thinking about the knot in his hand and how that was going to be inside of him during his heat. He felt a part of him just melt thinking about that but the more rational side thought about how it was going to even fit. He tried to push that out of his mind because that was for later Eiji to deal with and not now Eiji.

Instead he focused on Ash who was now kissing his neck softly and purring against him.

“Sorry if that was weird,” Ash hummed.

“It wasn’t,” Eiji reassured him. He squeezed Ash’s cock, the knot seeming to be getting slightly smaller now.

Ash groaned at that, some more cum dripping out of his cock too and onto his stomach.

“Now you’re being mean,” Ash huffed.

Eiji laughed, leaning in to kiss Ash softly.

Ash eventually batted Eiji’s hand away, his knot going down now. They were kind of a mess though so Ash went and started the shower, Eiji meeting him in their. 

The shower was quick, Eiji wanting to get back to the nest. When he saw the mess that they had made, he wrinkled his nose. So he took out the things that had dried come and his slick on them, replacing it with things from his dresser.

Ash stood in the doorway watching Eiji tear the nest a part and remake it. It made Eiji feel a little self conscious as he tried to make the nest nice again.

“You know it’s going to be a mess when it actually starts,” Ash told him as he got back in.

Eiji was already in the nest and under the covers at this point, content with the job he had done making the nest clean. “Well I want it to be clean before it starts. We have to sleep in it.”

Ash laughed, pulling the omega against his side. “Well, it still looks great.”

Eiji purred at that. It felt nice to hear that his nest looked good for his alpha.

They must have fallen asleep because Eiji woke up the next morning with the sun shining directly in his eyes. He felt hot and cold at the same time once again but this time it felt more intense. He felt like he could tell that his heat was right around the corner now. It wasn’t unbearable and he wasn’t desperate like Yut Lung had explained yet so that made him think that it hadn’t started. 

He knew it was soon though.


	24. Chapter 24

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am _so_ sorry. I did not mean to take this long for the next chapter to come out. I've had a lot of family issues, like racist family members being racist against their own niece/granddaughter, you know, normal things. And work problems that I won't get into. BUT I left my family thanksgiving early because I couldn't stand being their anymore and I was able to crank this out on the train back home last night :)  
>  I really hope you guys enjoy and again I'm so sorry about the wait!

Eiji could smell what he assumed was Ash’s rut or what he assumed was the beginning of it the next morning. His scent was a lot more intense then what he normally smelled, making Eiji’s head a little dizzy.

Ash wasn’t even in the room at the moment but he could smell that he was still in the apartment somewhere, so he reluctantly got out of his nest to go find him, putting on sweats that he found on the floor.

He found Ash in the kitchen making coffee in only his boxers.

Eiji walked up to him and wrapped his arms around Ash’s back, inhaling his scent on the back of his neck. Ash tensed when he felt Eiji’s touch but leaned back into it quickly.

“Is that your rut?” Eiji asked. Being this close to Ash was making him horny once again but he tried ignoring it so he could try to have a conversation with him.

“It hasn’t started yet but it’s probably close,” Ash said. The coffee maker beeped, letting him know the coffee was done so Ash poured himself and Eiji a cup. “Eiji, are you really hard again?”

Ash was chuckling as he rubbed his ass on Eiji’s half hard cock, making him rock his hips towards the touch.

“Stop,” Eiji huffed, holding Ash’s hips still.

Ash just laughed before he turned in Eiji’s hold, wrapping an arm around his waist and kissing Eiji’s forehead. “I know this must be weird experiencing.”

Eiji groaned. “It is weird. I feel like everything is amplified. I’m constantly turned on and I have stuff that leaks out of my ass. I… it’s weird being a were.”

Eiji watched Ash face twist in almost pain. He was probably thinking about the circumstances that Eiji had turned again. 

“It’s okay,” Eiji smiled at him. He didn’t want to talk about it but he didn’t want Ash feeling bad.  
Instead he just wrapped his arms around Ash’s neck and gave him a quick kiss.

Ash set his mug down, returning the kiss and running his fingers through Eiji’s hair.

Eiji was slightly annoyed that his body was so on board for what was happening, Ash pulling Eiji’s hips in to grind against him. He just wanted to get through breakfast normally and not need to get off again. He didn’t stop Ash though.

His scent was also clouding Eiji’s head again and now that he was this close to him, he could smell just how intense it was. He couldn’t remember it being like this last night. Of course Eiji could smell the arousal coming from Ash last night but not like this. It was different now and made Eiji want to give in to it, to submit.

Ash actually pushed Eiji away when he heard Eiji’s stomach growl loudly. 

“Let’s get some food in you,” Ash laughed, steering Eiji towards the table.

Eiji sat down reluctantly, though was happy that Ash was able to get them in the right direction for breakfast.

Ash just made him cereal and a cup of coffee, Eiji eating the cereal quickly. He actually had two bowls, being so hungry.

Ash just laughed at him as he watched the other eat.

—

Ash hadn’t thought that Eiji realized what had been happening to him lately. He hadn’t really noticed it until the last few days most likely because he was actually living with him so he wouldn’t be surprised if Eiji hadn’t.

As he watched Eiji eat his breakfast, laughing at how hungry he seemed, he looked at Eiji’s figure. It had definitely filled out some, most likely because he had been eating so much lately, his body trying to prepare for a heat. Eiji hadn’t been skinny before but more lean. Now though his hips seemed a little rounder and there was a slightly pudge to his stomach and his face seemed to be a little rounder too. 

Ash would never bring it up to Eiji, worried he’d get upset because he was fat or something, especially in the emotional state he seemed to be in lately. He also didn’t want to admit that he liked Eiji like that. He loved Eiji regardless but since he had filled out some before his heat, his dumb alpha brain made him think about the fact that Eiji could bare his children. He liked the idea a little too much and would have to angrily yell at himself that he shouldn’t think about that.

They weren’t having a baby anytime soon… even if he wouldn’t mind that at all.

He could smell that he was pumping the room full of his scent now and watched as Eiji’s eyes went slightly glassy and his pupils widened. Just thinking about that made him want Eiji and it was annoying him that he didn’t have more control over his body.

This was why he didn’t like having a rut and he put it off for so long before. He hated that he couldn’t control his scent even more and he was just sort of at the mercy of his body.

“Ash,” Eiji sort of slurred. “Stop it. I just want to drink my coffee.”

He instantly felt made, trying his best to control his scent better. “I’m sorry, Eiji.”

Eiji looked up at him, his face slightly flushed and glaring at him. 

Ash went and sat next to Eiji, who quickly got up from his chair and scrambled to straddle Ash’s lap. 

“I thought you wanted to finish your coffee?” Ash hummed, wrapping his arms around Eiji’s middle.

Eiji buried his face in Ash’s neck, kissing up until he reached his ear and then bit his earlobe. “Well now I don’t want that,” Eiji huffed.

He grabbed Ash’s hand and brought it to the small of his back and then guided it down under his sweats. Ash was able to feel that Eiji was leaking again.

Ash pulled his sweats down further, leaning forward so he could look down the line of Eiji’s back.  
Even his ass seemed to be a little more plump to him.

He really felt like his alpha side was becoming more dominant as his rut got closer, Eiji’s scent getting more prominent and encouraging it.

—

The two of them got nothing done that day, Ash eventually moving them to Eiji’s nest and spending the day in there. 

Eventually though Ash insisted they clean up. Eiji reluctantly agreed, upset because he liked having Ash’s scent on him and didn’t want to wash it off. He didn’t even think Ash noticed how much he had just smothered him in his scent. Eiji ate it up though, enjoying the way that Ash’s scent had shifted slightly to a more prominent and possessive smell.

He was currently in the shower, thinking about what the next few days most likely had in stock for him and he was a little overwhelmed. His emotions were so crazy now and he was constantly horny so he felt like he couldn’t imagine what it’d be like during his heat. He didn’t know how it could be worse.

Eiji shut the water off, shivering as the cool air hit him when he opened the shower curtain. Ash had left a pair of boxers and his t-shirt in the bathroom for him to put on when he was done, doing so once he was dry.

When he got back to the bedroom he thought that Ash was sleeping, all curled up on his side and barely moving. He sat up when he heard Eiji though, smiling at him and gesturing him to get into the nest. His expression seemed almost sad to Eiji but he didn’t know why he could possibly be sad. They had just been joking around before he had got in the shower. 

“I’m gonna go shower now,” Ash smiled, moving around Eiji as he got in the bed.

Eiji nodded, grabbing a blanket and wrapping it around himself it. He watched as Ash’s eyes drifted to the mark on his neck before he gave another tense smile and left the room, Eiji hearing the shower turn back on shortly after.

Eiji touched the scar, feeling the bumps on it. He had mostly tried to not think about it much, not wanting another outburst at Ash. It was just like it came back to him and he thought once again how he got the scar.

None of this would most likely be happening right now if Dino hadn’t turned Eiji. Eiji didn’t think that he would have yes to Ash turning him, at least so soon. He probably would have waited longer. 

Eiji most likely would have let Ash turn him at some point but he didn’t know when. He knew that they’d be together, they were soulmates and he wanted them to be together but this was something they should have both chosen and talked about. 

It wasn’t like he regretted being turned because he found it interesting and fun that he could turn into a cat but the fact that it wasn’t on their own terms wasn’t fair. It wasn’t fair that he got thrown all these things like the fact that he was going to go through a heat, he could get pregnant, and his emotions were altered to name a few.

It was odd.

He was still thumbing his scar absentmindedly when Ash came back into the room, his hair damp. 

“You okay, Eiji?” Ash asked, looking concerned.

“Hmm? Yeah, I’m fine,” Eiji reassured him, taking his hand and tucking it under a pillow.

Ash observed him for a moment before he got dressed into his night clothes before turning the lights off and getting into bed with Eiji. He pulled Eiji into his arms, Eiji content. Ash smelled like soap now, not quite like himself making Eiji wrinkle his nose but he just tried to focus on the fact that the nest smelled like him.

They were quiet for a bit before Ash ran his fingers through Eiji’s hair. “Do you want to talk about whatever’s bothering you?”

Of course Ash noticed, Eiji should know better then to try and hide something from him. 

Eiji sighed before shoving his face in Ash’s neck to breath him in and then pull away to look in Ash’s direction. The room was dark so it was hard to see but he could just make out his eyes.

“I-it’s not really much,” Eiji shook his head, biting his lip. “I mean… I was just thinking about how all this is happening.”

Ash let out a breath slowly, squeezing Eiji tightly. Eiji could smell his scent change just slightly, still soapy smelling but with a tinge of maybe sadness? “You mean about Dino turning you?”

“Yeah,” Eiji nodded. “I guess I was thinking about how if he hadn’t turned me I don’t know where we’d be. I don’t know if I would have let you turn me yet and I wouldn’t be going through all these sudden changes. It’s just… a lot.”

Ash was quiet, seeming to let Eiji just talk it out.

“It’s different and here I am constantly horny and apparently it’s only going to get worse,” Eiji continued. “I was never like that before. Is it really going to be this bad all the time? Or only because this is my first one? And I can get pregnant? That shouldn’t be possible… I’m a male. It’s not…. it’s not fair that we didn’t get to decide this on our own.”

“I know it’s not fair,” Ash said, tilting Eiji’s chin up slightly to look at him better, their eyes having adjusted. “It’s not. And I’m sorry that this happened to you. I would do anything to go back and change it so we could do this on our own terms but… but I can’t. I can’t change what happened and I’m sorry.”

Eiji bit at his lip, trying to hold back the tears that were suddenly right there. His emotions were always getting the best of him lately. 

—

Eiji looked upset and like he wanted to cry. It made Ash unhappy to see him like that, wanting to comfort the omega. He pulled him a little closer, tucking his head under his chin and released some of his scent to try and comfort Eiji.

He hated seeing Eiji hurt in any way.

He didn’t know what to do so he just held Eiji until he fell asleep, snoring ever so slightly.

Eiji had every right to be upset with him if he wanted to be and he was right, it wasn’t fair. If he was going to be turned they needed to have talked about it beforehand but of course, Dino wanted to take this away from the two of them. 

They should definitely talk about it more but after Eiji’s heat and his rut, when things were settled more and Eiji’s emotions had time to settle as well.

—

Eiji had a dream that he was bent over, on his knees and he could feel something, someone fucking into him. His whole body felt on fire and everywhere the person was touching was like a little jolt of pleasure that made him moan and cry out in want. 

It was s foggy though, like he couldn’t see properly and like he couldn’t hear what was being said to him.

He could feel the pressure of fingers digging into his hips though. He reached back to grasp the hand and the person linked their fingers together and pressed their chest against Eiji’s back, mouthing at the back of his neck now.

It was like Eiji’s brain couldn’t process what was actually happening though, just feeling like he was burning and wanting more.

“ _Eiji_.”

He heard the voice, instantly recognizing it as Ash. He turned his head and was met with lips on his, biting at them slightly. He could smell Ash’s scent now too, so intense and what he could only think of as _alpha_.

“Eiji, _wake up_ ,” he heard and then felt himself being shaken.

Eiji jolted, his eyes flying open to see Ash next to him and not behind him any longer. It took him a second to remember he was having a dream. He felt so hot though, the blankets feeling extremely suffocating. He kicked them off but still felt like he was unbearably hot.

“Eiji,” Ash said again.

Eiji blinked before turning to look at Ash who seemed like he was maybe upset? He couldn’t tell. He seemed extremely tense. Then his scent hit him and it made him want to submit to Ash. He smelled so good. It made him think of his dream, wanting to turn over and stick his ass in the air for Ash. He wanted to just let Ash use him, shivering as he thought of him thrusting inside of him.

“Eiji, it’s your heat,” Ash told him, voice tense. “And my rut.”

Eiji nodded slowly, still sort of feeling like he was in his dream where everything was foggy. He pulled Ash on top of himself though and kissed him, spreading his legs for him to settle between. 

“Sorry for waking you up,” Ash said against Eiji’s lips. “You were kind of humping me.”

Eiji pulled away from the kiss, able to feel shame for about one second before he shuttered and felt what Yut Lung was talking about. He wanted, no he _needed_ something inside him _now_. 

Eiji choked on a moan as he wrapped his arms around Ash’s neck and rolled his hips up into Ash’s.

“ _Please Ash_.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eiji's heat/ash's rut is the next chapter you thirsty people ;)


	25. Chapter 25

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to say first that I'm sorry that it took me so long! It's been very hectic here. I'm interviewing for a new job and that always just drains me, meeting so many new people.  
> I'm also sorry that it's kinda short...  
> I hope you enjoy though hehe

It hurt like nothing Eiji had felt before. He could feel himself burning up and it was like nothing was going to be able to stop it. He definitely needed out of his clothes, pulling at them awkwardly as he felt Ash try and help him out of them too.

He briefly thought about how odd this was but his thoughts kept getting bombarded by this empty feeling he had inside of him. He needed to have _something_ inside him and soon because he felt like it was all becoming too much.

He was becoming frustrated because he just _wanted_ and he wanted it now.

“Breathe, Eiji,” he heard Ash tell him, his own voice tense, after he had taken Eiji’s shirt off.

The second he took a breath, he was almost assaulted with Ash’s scent. It was overwhelming and it smelled just so good, he couldn’t help but let out a whimper.

It also sort of grounded him for a second, able to see that he wasn’t the only one overwhelmed. Ash was leaning over him, his face flushed and seemingly tense, like he was holding back. He probably was for my sake, Eiji thought briefly before Ash ran his hand up Eiji’s side, Eiji letting out a moan at the touch.

Ash buried his nose in Eiji’s neck, breathing him in. “God, Eiji. You smell amazing.”

Eiji threaded his fingers through Ash’s hair, pulling him back and kissing him. It was sloppy, Eiji unable to concentrate as he was reminded of the slick that was dripping from him when he shifted.

“Ash, please,” Eiji whined, pulling away from the kiss. 

Ash actually chuckled at him, making Eiji pout as he moved back.

Ash helped Eiji out of his boxers, throwing them on the floor somewhere. Eiji’s first thought was to shut his legs and hide the slick that was leaking but he couldn’t with Ash in between his legs. That thought went away fast as he felt Ash run his hands down his thighs, fitting them on either side of his hips as he leaned over Eiji once more. 

Eiji felt Ash’s hard cock against him through his sweats, making him think about having that inside of him, letting out a soft moan as he thought about him thrusting in and out. Eiji tried yanking at the pants but was unsuccessful in getting those off, Ash awkwardly kicking them off.

He wanted Ash so badly and finally being able to see what he wanted made him desperate, shoving Ash back into the nest and straddling him. 

Eiji immediately reached back and grabbed Ash’s cock to line it up with his leaking entrance, sinking down on it fast.

Ash choked on a moan, reaching out to grip Eiji’s hips.

“Eiji, you… maybe you shouldn’t have done that,” Ash panted, extremely tense.

Eiji didn’t care to hear what Ash was saying, he finally felt full and it felt amazing. He leaned forward slightly and put his hands on Ash’s chest, vaguely registering that his slick had gotten all over his hand and was now on Ash’s chest. He rocked his hips slightly, just sort of feeling the cock inside of him.

It was overwhelming and felt amazing but he wanted more, needed more. He wanted to feel him pounding into him.

Eiji felt a grip on his hips tighten, before he felt the slide of the cock inside of him pull out, making Eiji whimper in want before it was quickly thrust back in. Eiji moaned loudly, hips rolling into it.

It was almost like he was in a haze, only able to focus on the burning want and how good it felt to be filled. He did feel the cock slip out, making him almost cry at the loss before he was flipped onto his back. His legs were bent towards his chest and he felt the cock thrust back into him quickly, the pace fast then, making Eiji grip the blankets.

His own cock was leaking precome but Eiji ignored it, focusing more on the feeling of being filled.

“ _Eiji_ ,” he heard moaned, his eyes snapping open. He hadn’t realized that he had closed them but he was met with Ash’s green eyes close to his, his forehead resting on Eiji’s as his hips continued to snap forward.

He had forgotten about Ash for a moment, only thinking about how good it felt to be fucked, his body just screaming for more. He couldn’t place his thoughts, his mind so hazy from the heat and only focusing on one thing. He did feel vaguely bad that he had merely thought Ash down to his dick, not only feeling like that for the alpha.

That was when he felt a slight bulge at the end of Ash’s cock, remembering about his knot. He suddenly wanted it, felt like for some reason he needed it inside of him, like it would make the want go away.

“Ash, please, _more_ ,” Eiji whined, bucking his hips up as he wrapped his arms around Ash’s shoulders.

Ash groaned, his thrusts getting faster but sloppy. His cock brushed against Eiji’s prostate, making Eiji whine louder.

Eiji could feel the knot getting bigger still able to slip in and out of him but then he felt it push in and it was big, bigger then he thought he’d be able to handle but it was in him. 

It was a lot but it felt so good, felt like _this_ was what his body wanted.

He could hear Ash moan as he rut into him, then he could feel him come. Eiji could feel Ash’s cock throb as he came inside of him, the feeling triggering his own orgasm.

Eiji moaned as he came, burying his face in Ash’s neck before the intense urge to bite Ash took over, unable to stop himself as he bit down on Ash’s neck hard. 

Eiji heard Ash hiss but then he was now rubbing his hand up and down Eiji’s side.

Eiji felt like he was able to think properly for a moment, he couldn’t tell if it was because he had come or because the knot in him felt so good and made the omega in him sated. He loosened his teeth from Ash’s neck, realizing that he had drew blood. 

“Ash, I’m sorry,” Eiji said, pulling Ash back slightly to look at the bite mark.

He felt a surge of proudness well up in him at the mark. It felt like Ash was his in a way now.

“It’s okay,” Ash said softly. “I know this is a lot for you.”

Eiji moved slightly, moaning when he felt Ash pump more come in him. Ash groaned, moving to rest his forehead on Eiji’s shoulder.

They were silent for a bit, Eiji trying to stay still since it seemed to make Ash overstimulated. 

“How long does your, uh, knot last?” Eiji asked.

“I… I don’t know,” Ash murmured into Eiji’s shoulder. “Not long usually but I’ve never been inside of… someone while I’ve knotted.”

Eiji nodded, rubbing his hands up and down Ash’s sweaty back.

He felt relatively normal right now, more like right before his heat had started and he was just sort horny all the time. He liked that he could think straight for a moment and not just think about having a cock stuffed inside him.

“That was very intense,” Eiji told Ash. “I don’t think I’ve ever felt that much just… _want_ before.”

“Yeah,” Ash nodded. “It’s different from when I’m alone.”

Eiji wrinkled his nose, imagining having to deal with this on his own. He felt like he’d go insane trying to chase the feeling of being full. He felt bad for Ash but understood now why he postponed his rut originally for so long. If he had to deal with his heat by himself, he didn’t know how he’d do it. Even though Ash was here with him, he still felt like it was a lot to deal with.

He then felt Ash’s knot go down a bit, wiggling at the feeling of it going away. 

Ash huffed as he pulled out, just staring down in between Eiji’s legs.

Eiji flushed, trying to close them but Ash grabbed onto his knees and kept them pushed open.

He knew what Ash was looking at and it made him almost embarrassed. He could feel the come leaking out of him, down onto the nest. The look on Ash’s face made him shiver, the need coming back.

—

Ash felt dizzy with Eiji’s sweet scent surrounding him. It was overwhelming but smelled so good, he just wanted to sink into the scent and never leave it.

It was fuzzy, the memory of fucking Eiji even if it was just moments ago, his rut making his mind only think of one thing. He remembered though he loved grabbing onto Eiji’s hips, so plush and easy to hold, and fucking into the tight heat. 

He didn’t like that was what his mind had decided to think about though, he thought of Eiji as more then just something to fuck into. He knew that he cared about Eiji more than anything. It was his rut that was making him just have a one track mind.

He hated that.

Knotting him had felt so _right_ though. It felt amazing, like that was where he belonged, buried in the tight, wet heat that Eiji provided.

He had to pull out eventually though, his knot going down. He looked down as he pulled out, feeling himself flush as he watched his come drip out of Eiji.

Eiji tried to close his legs but he didn’t let him as he gripped Eiji’s knees to keep them open. 

He gave Eiji a look, trying to tell him to keep his legs open as he moved one of his hands down and pushed the come back in Eiji with two fingers.

He heard Eiji moan quietly but he was more focused on trying to keep his come inside of Eiji. His stupid alpha brain was trying to tell him this was would increase the chances of Eiji being pregnant but they were both on birth control, there was no way that Eiji was going to get pregnant. It seemed that his alpha brain didn’t care and just showed him images of Eiji pregnant and round with his child, making Ash want that.

Eiji had spread his legs at this point, moaning as Ash had started to thrust his fingers in him, curling them every so often and making him cry out in pleasure.

Eiji was all flushed and seemed like he was back to the way he was before, his eyes glassy and unfocused as he chased pleasure.

His cock twitched as he thought about being back inside that tight heat again, feeling it harden. He couldn’t help himself and he removed his fingers, looking at them before licking the mixture of his come and Eiji’s slick. Eiji’s slick was sweet, reminding him of Eiji’s sweet scent. 

Eiji bucked his hips up as he watched Ash, whining about wanting Ash before he turned over and shoved his face in the pillow below him, his hips pushed up.

He was essentially presenting for Ash and he briefly wondered if Eiji knew what he was doing or if he was just lost in his heat and letting his body tell him what to do. He felt like the latter was what was going on.

His alpha side was happy and practically purring at the sight in front of him as he gripped Eiji’s plump hips and thrust in quickly. There was no resistance, Ash able to slide all the way in. It felt so good, Eiji so slick and open for him.

He heard Eiji sigh in pleasure, pushing his hips back to meet Ash’s thrusts.

Ash growled before he set a fast pace, thrusting into the wet heat that was there. He leaned down and licked at Eiji’s neck, where the bit mark that was already there. He bit down on it, his body wanting to claim Eiji as his own, upset that there was a mark already on Eiji that belonged to someone else. 

He felt Eiji freeze under him before he cried out, Ash moaning as he felt Eiji pulse around him. He brought one of his hands down, running it down Eiji’s stomach and feeling the stickiness there. Eiji’s cock was still hard though and Eiji pushed his hips back against Ash’s, clearly wanting more.

It made Ash bite down hard on the mark, drawing blood like Eiji had done to him. His alpha side liked that Eiji had felt the need to claim him like that but he also felt the need to claim the omega as his own as well.

His knot popped quickly once again, tying him to Eiji before he came, feeling Eiji come once again. He moaned as he felt Eiji pulse around him, the feeling making him come more.  
Eiji was shaking under him, wiggling some.

“Ash, this isn’t comfortable,” Eiji huffed, his voice sounding scratchy but more like himself.

Eiji was still on his knees, Ash draped over his back, now licking at the blood from the bite wound.

“Sorry,” Ash said as he moved back a little. He rolled them onto their sides, spooning Eiji with his knot still inside of him.

“Is that was it’s going to be like the whole time?” Eiji whispered. “Because a week of this is… it’s going to be a lot.”

“I don’t think so,” Ash said as he rubbed Eiji’s side, feeling the dip at his waist before he moved his hand to squeeze at his hips. God, he loved Eiji all plump. “I think it’s so intense because it’s the beginning of it.”

Eiji hummed, pushing his hips back and giggling when Ash moaned, digging his fingers into his hips more.

Ash felt himself come again at the movement, burying his face at the back of Eiji’s neck and moan. He pinched Eiji’s hip as punishment, Eiji laughing softly.

“I’m really tired,” Eiji slurred.

“Go to sleep,” Ash hummed. “We’ll need our rest.”

It seemed that Ash hadn’t even finished his sentence before he felt Eiji’s breathing slow down and he was suddenly sleeping.

Ash would have thought it was funny though he was still knotted in Eiji, making him unable to move.

His knot didn’t last quite as long before he slipped his cock from Eiji. He was worried that would wake Eiji up but he seemed to sleep through it, just curling up further.

Ash looked at the fish bite mark on Eiji, feeling slightly bad that he had bite him so deep it bled but his alpha side was proud that he had a physical claim to Eiji now. 

Ash felt relatively normal at the moment, his mind not clouded with lust from his rut. 

He got out of the nest and went to Eiji’s bathroom to grab something to clean them up and clean the wounds they now both had. Ash cleaned up his own in the bathroom, unable to find a bandage big enough to cover it so he just cleaned it the best he could. It seemed to have stopped bleeding at least.

When he went back into the bedroom, Eiji was still asleep thankfully.

Ash cleaned up the wound and the stickiness in between Eiji’s legs. He could feel his mind getting hazy again but Eiji was sleeping and he wanted to let him relax while he could so he went and got some food from the kitchen and a few water bottles to bring into the bedroom, knowing that Eiji would probably be hungry when he woke up.

Ash got back into the nest with Eiji, curling around him from behind. He ignored the growing need he had, wanting to rest with Eiji for a bit before his rut really hit again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you thirsty people are happy and don't worry there will be more fun times in the next chapter ;)
> 
>  
> 
> let me know if there's a mistake somewhere, I edited this very fast


	26. Chapter 26

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope y'all enjoy :)

The next few days were almost a complete blur for Eiji. He remembered small flashes of things that happened but it was like he couldn’t form a complete picture of what was happening. He was lucid, for the most part, when he was finally knotted but other than that he felt like he was in a haze. He could remember Ash forcing them to eat at one point and remember some parts of them having sex but barely. It was clouded in that lust haze that made it feel like he was trying to remember a dream.

Eiji woke up the next morning, well he assumed it was morning but he really had no clue. The sun was out but it could be the middle of the day for all he knew. 

He felt like the haze had lifted, if only for a bit. He sat up to see Ash fast asleep next to him. They were completely naked, though there was really no point in putting any clothes on since they were most likely going to take them off or get them dirty anyways.

Eiji grabbed a water bottle from the night stand and drank some, not realizing how thirsty he was. He felt sticky and dirty, wanting to bathe but not wanting to leave the nest. He had left it briefly to go to the bathroom but he always hurried back, his instincts telling him he was safest in the nest.

He could feel the sticky slick between his legs, pushing the covers aside to see that between his legs was either covered in slick or come. It was gross, having dried and making Eiji wrinkle his nose at but he felt that spark of want back again. 

“Ash,” Eiji huffed, shaking Ash’s shoulder.

Ash groaned, rolling away from Eiji and shoving his face in the pillow.

He wanted Ash to wake up and help him, the haze quickly coming back.

“Ash, please,” Eiji said, pushing Ash back down on his back.

Ash opened his eyes, squinting tiredly up at Eiji. “Hmm?”

Eiji pouted, slapping his hands on Ash’s cheeks. “Please wake up.”

Ash groaned again before rubbing sleep out of his eyes, yawning.

“Is your heat coming back?”

Eiji made a face, feeling himself flush and fresh slick leak out of him.

“Come here,” Ash yawned again.

Eiji knew that Ash was not a morning person but he looked barely awake as he motioned for Eiji to climb on top of him. He did so, Ash pulling him so he straddled his lap with Eiji laying on his front.

Ash ran his hands down Eiji’s back before he got to his ass and squeezed, making Eiji roll his hips against Ash’s.

Eiji was already hard, able to feel that Ash was getting hard now too.

Ash kissed behind his ear as he traced a finger around Eiji’s entrance before slowly putting it in.

Eiji whined, that not being enough. He needed more, more the just a finger.

Ash bit down lightly on Eiji’s neck before he added a second finger, Eiji pushing his hips back.

“Ash, please, I need more,” Eiji said, his voice sounding almost distant to himself. He was starting to not be able to concentrate on anything other than the feeling of wanting something inside of him.

Eiji turned his head to bite at Ash’s lips who laughed, adding a third finger quickly.

“You’re so loose,” Ash hummed against Eiji’s lips.

Eiji pushed back against Ash’s fingers, wanted more but Ash seemed to be taking his time, frustrating Eiji. “Well, I wonder why,” Eiji huffed. “Please, Ash, stop teasing.”

Ash snickered before he took his fingers out, making Eiji whine. 

Eiji sat up, deciding to take things into his own hands if Ash was just going to be a tease about it, reaching back to grip Ash’s cock. It was leaking already, or maybe Eiji’s slick had leaked onto him, he didn’t know but he lined it up and sank down on it slowly, moaning softly at the way it felt going in.

Ash was gripping his hips tightly, fingers digging into his skin. He didn’t give Eiji much time before he pulled out some and then thrust back in all the way. 

Eiji cried out, falling forward on Ash’s chest again. He let Ash take the lead, unable to think further then he just wanted to be fucked and knotted.

The day continued much like it had the day before and the day before that. Eiji realized though, when it was dark outside once again, that he definitely felt more in control of himself. He had felt more aware of everything as it was happening and that he wasn’t at the mercy of what his body needed and wondered briefly if Ash had felt that way too.

They were currently tied together by Ash’s knot, Ash in between his legs and trying to not rest all his weight on top of Eiji. Eiji didn’t care though and just pushed the other down so he was resting on his chest.

“How long do you think this will last?” Eiji asked as he played with Ash’s sweaty hair.

Ash kissed Eiji’s bare shoulder, shrugging. “Our heat and rut? I don’t know. My rut, from what I remember, could last around 5 days to maybe 8? I’m not sure about your heat though.”

Eiji nodded. “Do you think that it could be shorter because we’re sharing it?”

Ash shrugged again. “There’s definitely a possibility I think.”

Eiji huffed, reaching for his phone that was charging on the nightstand. “I’m going to text Yut Lung.”

“Seriously? Right now?” Ash asked, completely taken back.

Eiji pouted. “Well you don’t know, he might.”

“You’re in the middle of your heat!” Ash said incredulously. “And I’m _knotted inside you_.”

“I’m still texting him,” Eiji stuck his tongue out to which Ash bit lightly.

He saw he had a snap from Yut Lung, opening it quickly to see a picture of a dark room, hard to make out quite what was going on but he could see that Yut Lung was sort of half sitting up in a bed with an embarrassed expression on his face, looking away from the camera. He could also clearly see a shirtless Shorter was fast asleep with his head resting on Yut Lung chest and his arm wrapped around the omega’s waist. 

The caption with it said: _Can we talk when your heat is done?_

Eiji blinked at the phone before he quickly showed it to Ash before the picture went away.

“What are they doing?” Ash asked, squinting at the screen. “Ick, don’t show me that.”

Eiji rolled his eyes, turning the phone back to text Yut Lung. 

“Do you think they told each other about their feelings?” Eiji hummed, wiggling some.

Ash groaned as he buried his face in Eiji’s shoulder, unable to stop himself as he came more making Eiji moan and almost drop his phone before sending a text to Yut Lung.

E: _If you share a heat/rut do you think it won’t last as long_

Ash grabbed the phone from Eiji, dropping it next to him.

“I am literally inside of you and you’re texting someone.”

Eiji made a face. “I’m just curious.”

Ash sighed, moving back some. His knot went down again, making it easy to pull out of Eiji. Eiji made a face at not feeling full and the feeling of come dripping out of him.

There was so much, there always being a big mess to end up cleaning. A small part of Eiji thought about the fact that the more Ash came the more of a chance he’d get pregnant but he tried to not think about that. They were on birth control, they didn’t need a baby.

That didn’t stop his brain from thinking about it though.

He felt his phone buzz but it didn’t stop, alerting him that someone was calling him. He picked it up to see Yut Lung was calling.

He hadn’t realized he was missing the other omega as much until he was able to speak with him again.

“Yut Lung!” Eiji said happily as he answer, putting it on speaker.

“Can you please not be so loud?” Yut Lung huffed.

“I miss you,” Eiji said quickly. “I saw that snap too. I know it said you wanted to talk after but what’s going on with you and Shorter-“

“Nope, no,” Yut Lung said quickly. “I’m not talking about that right now. I’m surprised that you’re actually conscious during your heat. Good for you. It’s probably because of that stupid lion.”

“I can hear you,” Ash growled before he got up out of bed, walking out of the room.

Eiji curled up on his side, pulling blankets over him and thinking that he needed to shower after this.

“Don’t put me on speaker!” Yut Lung cried.

Eiji heard snickering in the background before he heard Yut Lung shushing.

“Okay, you want to know how long your heat is going to last?” Yut Lung sighed. “I don’t know. Honestly, you spending it with someone really helps reduce how long it is. This is your first heat though so I really can’t tell you. I think I told you a week before so go with that.”

Eiji sighed. “Okay. I miss you.”

He heard Yut Lung stutter over his words, before he let out a frustrated noise. “You’re such a mom, Eiji.”

“Well, it’s true,” Eiji pouted.

It was true, now that he was more conscious and not just focused on having sex, he realized how much he missed the other omega. He also really wanted to know what was going on with Shorter but he knew that the presence of Ash would make Yut Lung shut down and not talk about something like that. He’d have to wait until after his heat to talk with him.

“Uh huh,” Yut Lung said. “I’m going to go now and leave you to having sex.”

Eiji groaned before he said bye.

“What did the snake say?” he heard Ash from the doorway.

Eiji shrugged. “Maybe a week. But since it’s my first heat and I’m spending it with someone he doesn’t really know.”

Ash nodded. “Alright, well I started a bath since you seem to be relatively normal and so do I. I thought we’d clean up a bit.”

“Okay,” Eiji nodded. He liked that idea. While Ash had been trying to keep them clean, he still just felt dirty.

Eiji got up, having briefly forgotten about the come that was still dripping out of him and felt it slide down his leg, making a face. His legs felt wobbly, having to catch himself on the nightstand.

“You have to clean me,” Eiji pointed at Ash, Ash nodding slowly.

Eiji sort of waddled to the bathroom, getting into the tub immediately. The warm water felt so nice around him, relaxing into it almost instantly.

Ash was standing in the doorway, watching him with a small smile on his face. “Is there room in there for me?”

Eiji huffed but moved forward, motioning for him to come in.

Ash laughed as he got in the tub with him, wrapping his arms around Eiji’s middle watching as Ash smoothed his hand down his stomach.

Eiji frowned down at his stomach, pinching it a little. Had he gained weight? He hadn’t noticed anything until right now, surprising him at the little bit of pudge he had.

“Ash, do I look like I’ve gained weight?” Eiji asked, turning to look back at Ash.

Ash looked away from Eiji, a slight flush on his face. “Um…”

Eiji turned completely in the tub, slipping slightly. “Have I?”

“Well, I mean…” Ash said slowly, trailing off. “Yes?”

Eiji looked back down at himself, touching his stomach and now able to actually feel the tiniest bit of fat there. He hadn’t thought that he’d gain weight, the doctor hadn’t said anything about that and Yut Lung hadn’t either. He would definitely comment on something like that.

“Oh, I didn’t realize,” Eiji pouted. “Do I look bad?” He felt his emotions trying to get the best of him, unable to stop himself from asking but he was able to stop himself from crying even though he wanted too.

“No!” Ash said loudly, his arms flailing and splashing Eiji with water. “You… you look g-great!”

Eiji didn’t like the way that Ash said that but he was quickly reminded that he was still in heat as he felt Ash brush his hand on his thigh, shivering and feeling the lust coming back.

“Can we make this bath quick?” Eiji said, feeling himself flush. He saw Ash lean a little closer to him, most likely smelling Eiji’s scent, nodding.

The bath was quick, Ash helping Eiji. Eiji smelled Ash’s scent spike near the end, making Eiji want Ash more.

Eiji quickly got back in his nest, throwing out some of the soiled things. He started purring when he was back in it, wrapping himself in the comfortable blankets. 

Ash got in, pulling at the blankets to get under them with Eiji, facing him.

Eiji could once again felt slick leak out of him. 

“We should probably eat,” Ash hummed, though he was brushing his lips along Eiji’s jaw until he got to Eiji’s lips.

Eiji moaned softly into the kiss, seeming to encourage Ash. 

Ash grabbed at his side, pushing Eiji onto his back and climbing in between his legs.

He could feel himself get taken over by the lust, the want, but thankfully it wasn’t like before, like he wasn’t just doing whatever he could to chase the pleasure. Eiji liked that he was a little in control of himself again, not completely at the mercy of his body. He could still tell that he was a little out of it, definitely needing Ash but again more in control.

Ash lightly brushed his hand down Eiji’s chest until he reached Eiji’s hard cock, wrapping his hand around it and stroking but Eiji batted his hand away. It felt nice but that wasn’t what he wanted, he wanted something inside of him.

Ash laughed before he reached down to trace Eiji’s entrance, sliding two fingers in quickly. 

Eiji moaned softly, his hips bucking at finally getting something that he wanted. Ash fingered him while leaning over and kissing his chest.

Eiji hadn’t realized that he was moving down until he felt Ash lick the head of his cock, making him squeak out a moan.

“ _Ash_ -“

“Shh,” Ash told him.

Eiji bit his lips as he looked down to watch Ash wrap his hand around the base of his cock and suck at the head. He felt Ash’s tongue rub at him, making him moan more.

He had to shut his eyes, the image too much but that just made him focus on the feeling of having Ash’s finger’s curl inside of him and the feeling of his tongue on his cock.

He threaded his fingers in Ash’s hair, accidentally thrusting up as he held Ash there.

Ash pulled away, stroking Eiji’s cock now wet with spit.

“I-I’m sorry-“

“It’s fine,” Ash told him, thrusting his fingers against the spot that made Eiji moan the loudest.

Eiji wanted Ash’s cock inside of him, now. He reached for Ash’s shoulder to try and pull him up but Ash refused to move.

“Ash, please, I want you inside me,” Eiji said, feeling his body heat up more. He desperately wanted to fucked now, the teasing enough.

“But I am,” Ash hummed, slowly pulling his fingers out to thrust them back in quickly.

Eiji moaned, reaching down to grab at Ash’s wrist. “You know what I mean. Please.”

Ash hummed before he took his fingers out all the way, Eiji whining about that. 

Ash sat up, moving Eiji so he was on his knees and his ass raised in the air, Eiji feeling embarrassed about the position before he remembered briefly being in it before, at the beginning of his heat. It was a hazy memory but he remembered Ash fucking into him, it feeling so good.

He felt Ash’s hand on his hip before he felt the head of Ash’s cock press against his entrance, slowly pushing in.

When Ash was in all the way, he draped himself over Eiji’s back, sucking marks into the back of his neck.

“Move, Ash, _ah_ -“

Before Eiji could finishing tell Ash to move, he had already pulled out and slammed back in. He set a grueling pace, making Eiji moan, it feeling so good.

He could hear how wet it sounded, from the slick that he had made. He was briefly embarrassed but then Ash would thrust back in and then all he could think of was how good it felt.

Ash’s scent had wrapped around him, it making him overwhelmed once again. 

It felt like it took forever for Ash to knot, getting pushed into Eiji finally and Eiji letting out a happy sigh before he felt Ash come inside of him, triggering his own orgasm. 

The knot didn’t last very long, going down fairly quickly. It made Eiji think that maybe it was near the end of Ash’s rut, Ash scent still strong but maybe not as strong as it had been at the beginning.  
They were laying on their sides now, facing each other, Ash tracing Eiji’s side and making Eiji purr loudly. 

“It doesn’t feel as strong,” Eiji hummed, his eyes closed, liking the feeling of Ash touching him.

“Hm?”

“The… the want,” Eiji explained. “It feels like the want isn’t there as much as it was before.”

Ash was quiet before Eiji felt lips against his, kissing the alpha back before he pulled away.

“Yeah, I feel the same,” Ash said.

Eiji opened his eyes to see Ash smiling at him, making him flush more then he already was. 

“We should eat,” Ash said, patting Eiji’s side before he got up. He left the room, Eiji staring at his ass.

A thought popped into his head, making him blush all over and bury his face in the nest. He had thought about having Ash under him as he thrust inside of the alpha.

No, Ash would probably never let that happen.

It was probably his heat making his thoughts go crazy still.

He quickly shooed the thought away, rolling over onto his back. He rested a hand on his stomach, feeling the slight pudge and stickiness there. 

Ash had come in him so many times, knotted him so many times he couldn’t remember. He kept thinking about what if he got pregnant from that. The pudge made him feel like he could pregnant, like it was baby weight. 

What if…

He wouldn’t mind a little Ash running around, with a crooked smile and blonde hair. No, their baby would probably have black hair like him, Ash’s blonde genes not strong enough to dominate Eiji’s black hair. 

What if they had green eyes like Ash though? Black hair and green eyes.

Eiji thought about the little child running around the place, calling them papa or dad or daddy or whatever they decided and being so sweet. He _needed_ that. 

Eiji supposed he was thinking about that because of the heat, making him want a baby because that was the point of a heat, to get pregnant. He knew that outside of his dumb hormones though, he’d definitely want a baby with Ash, maybe not right now but soon. The heat just made him want one now.

Would Ash even want a baby? He would imagine that he’d be a great father, carrying the baby around and cooing at them. 

Eiji wanted to see that. He wanted to see their little baby with Ash.

He had to stop thinking about it though, Eiji able to smell his scent becoming what Yut Lung called ‘maternal’.

Instead he focused on needing to clean up.

Eiji grabbed a shirt from the nest to wipe his legs and stomach up with, throwing it on the floor with the other dirty things that had been in the nest.

Ash came back then with a sandwich for Eiji to eat and some water, making Eiji sit up to eat the whole thing and drink. Eiji noticed him raise an eyebrow at the scent in the room but didn’t say anything.

“How long has it been since it started for us?” Eiji said as he finished his sandwich.

Ash shrugged before he grabbed his phone from Eiji’s nightstand, looking at it. “I think like almost 5 days?”

“Oh,” Eiji said. He couldn’t remember a lot of the beginning so it would make sense that he couldn’t remember days since he was so out of it. He didn’t like that and hoped that the next heat would be less intense though he doubted it.

“Yeah, I didn’t realize that,” Ash said before setting his phone down. “Finish drinking some water and then we can get some sleep.”

Eiji rolled his eyes, grabbing the water bottle and drinking more.

When they laid down to sleep, Eiji could feel the want but again it was like it was slowly fading, not as intense. Hopefully it would be gone soon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you guys enjoyyy and let me know what you think!


	27. Chapter 27

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's not that long, I just wanted to get this out!  
> Hope you enjoy!

It was slow but over the next day, Eiji felt the need going away and becoming almost nothing. In fact, while Ash was thrusting into him, Eiji on his hands and knees with his ass in the air which seemed to be Ash’s new favorite position, he could feel the need go away completely. 

Eiji felt like he could think clearer now, like the lust wasn’t clouding his mind.

He moaned as he felt Ash’s knot push into him before Ash came. He came weakly, having come not  
too long ago.

Ash rested his forehead on his back, catching his breath and soothing his hands up Eiji’s sides.

Eiji could now smell them, the room smelling of nothing but sex and their intermingled scent. Before, he could smell it too but it was like it was enticing him. Now though, he kind of wanted to open the windows and get some fresh air in the room.

He wondered if Ash’s rut was almost done too, if that would end with his heat.

“Eiji,” Ash said as he kissed the back of Eiji’s neck lightly.

“Yes?”

“Did your heat break?” Ash asked, moaning slightly as he rolled his hips against Eiji’s ass.

Eiji gasped before nodding. “I think, it doesn’t feel like it did anymore.”

Ash rolled them onto their sides, still petting Eiji’s side making Eiji purr at the soft touches. “Yeah, I think my rut did too,” Ash told him, still nuzzling the back of his neck.

Eiji ended up falling asleep, waking up later to Ash wiping him down with a warm wash cloth. He stretched out before yawning. 

He was on his back, Ash in the middle of his legs cleaning them gently. Eiji lifted the one Ash was currently trying to clean, putting it on his shoulder.

“Morning sleepy head,” Ash smiled, turning to kiss Eiji’s ankle.

“Mmm, did I sleep long?” Eiji asked. His body felt exhausted still, though he shouldn’t be too surprised. They had just had sex for how ever many days straight, he was going to be sore.

Ash shook his head. “No, not very long but you were all sticky and I wanted to clean you.”  
Eiji smiled, liking the attention.

Ash eventually moved onto the other leg, Eiji starting to purr again, his eyes closing. 

“Hey, don’t fall asleep on me again,” Ash laughed, poking Eiji’s stomach.

“But I’m tired,” Eiji whined.

It was like he could feel Ash roll his eyes at him before he pinched Eiji’s side, making him open his eyes to glare at the alpha. Ash grinned before he moved up, letting Eiji’s legs fall to either side of him to kiss Eiji gently.

Eiji hummed softly into the kiss. They hadn’t had any real sweet moments since their heat/rut started and Eiji had missed that. 

They talked for a bit after that before they both fell asleep, Ash resting his head on Eiji’s chest.

When they woke up later, Eiji wanted a shower to be completely clean and he knew that he needed to open the windows up before he let Yut Lung come back to the apartment, knowing the other omega would say something about it.

He pushed Ash aside before getting up. Once again his legs felt like jelly and he had to smack his hand down on the nightstand so he didn’t fall. As he stood there, he felt come and slick slowly dripping down his thigh. 

Well, Ash hadn’t exactly cleaned him there.

He made his way to his bathroom, getting in the shower as quick as he could. The warm water felt great on his sore muscles, Eiji just standing in it for a while. 

Eventually he washed himself, shampooing his hair as well. He thought about Yut Lung yelling at him about conditioning his hair as he skipped over it.

Just as he was finishing shampooing his hair, he heard a knock on the door before he heard Ash say, “Eiji, I’m coming in with you.”

Eiji moved back as the curtain opened and Ash got in, attaching himself to Eiji immediately. 

“I missed you,” Ash huffed.

“I’ve been gone for like not even 10 minutes,” Eiji rolled his eyes. 

“Yes and I’ve missed you,” Ash said as he kissed Eiji’s neck before moving away from him.

They showered quickly, Eiji trying to pretend like he didn’t feel the come leaking out of him every so often, that is until he had turned around and Ash pulled Eiji in to press his chest against his back.

“Do you need me to clean you up?” Ash asked, lips moving against Eiji’s ear.

Eiji shivered before he nodded.

Ash moved his hand from Eiji’s side down his back to squeeze his ass. Eiji made a noise as he felt Ash press a finger against his entrance as his other hand firmly held one of his ass cheeks.

Eiji would have thought he’d be done with sex, even for a little bit, but no. His body was reacting, even feeling himself leak more slick. He would have thought that he would be done with that if his heat was over but maybe it would take a little bit before that would go away.

“Are you leaking _more_?” Ash asked as he pushed a finger in Eiji.

“N-no?” Eiji stuttered, pushing his hips back against the finger.

Ash thrust his finger in and then out before adding a second finger, making Eiji moan softly. He was used to taking Ash’s cock along with his knot and just two fingers wasn’t enough, he wanted more. He felt as his own cock twitch, getting hard as Ash continued to finger him.

Ash hooked his chin over Eiji’s shoulder, looking down his body. “Are you really getting hard again Eiji?”

Eiji was about to say something but then he felt Ash roll his hips against his ass, feeling just how hard he was too.

Eiji moaned again, pushing back against Ash, wanting him again. 

This time it felt more like before his heat actually started, where he was just incredibly horny. Either way, he wanted Ash again.

“If you promise to clean me out after, you can put it in,” Eiji told Ash, letting his head fall back to rest on Ash’s shoulder.

Ash groaned before he took his fingers out and grabbed Eiji’s hips before he pushed his cock into him. 

Eiji sighed, feeling full again. He liked this better, better then when he was in heat because he could actually enjoy how he felt and not be at the mercy of his body.

In the end though, having sex in the shower was probably not the best idea, especially since Eiji’s legs were sore already.

As Ash came, Eiji coming into Ash’s hand, Eiji’s legs basically gave out and Ash had to basically catch Eiji. Ash didn’t knot this time which Eiji was thankful for because he did not want to be stuck on it as the shower got cold.

“Are you okay?” Ash asked, holding Eiji around his waist.

“I’m fine, that just was a lot,” Eiji panted.

Ash cleaned Eiji up, Eiji complaining that it was weird as he tried to get the come out of him.

After the shower, they went back to Eiji’s room, getting dressed. After they were dressed, Ash went to make some food while Eiji opened all the windows in the apartment. It was slightly chilly but he’d rather have that then have the smell of sex in the apartment when Yut Lung came back.

He tore out all the gross things from the nest, knowing he was going to need to wash them. It made him feel weird that he was purposefully destroying his nest but he tried to tell himself that this was better.

“I made food,” Ash told him as he came into the room. “Oh, wow.”

Eiji had made a huge mess with the nest’s things. Half of it was strewn across the floor while the things that Eiji thought were still clean were left on the bed. 

“I’m trying to clean,” Eiji huffed. 

“Okay, well when you want to eat, there’s food,” Ash said as he backed out of the room.

Eiji didn’t know what it was but he just needed to do this before he did anything else, even if he felt his stomach grumble at the thought of food.

He put everything that needed to be washed by the door to take down to the laundry room later, going back and organizing his nest as best he could. There wasn’t much left in it and he had a feeling he wouldn’t want the things he was going to wash back in his nest until they smelled like the owners.

“Eiji, stop cleaning and eat,” he heard Ash tell him.

Eiji pouted but went back out into kitchen and sat down at the table begrudgingly. He didn’t want to eat, he wanted to clean.

Ash set down a bowl of soup in front of him, Eiji sighing before he ate it.

“So, when should we tell Shorter and Yut Lung that it’s over?” Ash asked, sitting next to Eiji.

Eiji shrugged, setting his spoon back in the bowl. “I want to make sure the apartment doesn’t smell to bad before Yut Lung comes back. He’ll say something and never let me live it down.”

Ash laughed. “Yeah, more time to spend with you then.”

Eiji smiled, liking that idea. 

—

Ash watched from the couch the next day in almost annoyance as Eiji sprang up to go greet Yut Lung. He knew that Eiji had missed him but he’d much rather spend more time just the two of them.

Yut Lung had opened the door, stepping into the apartment before closing it. He looked annoyed at his bags, dropping them in front of the door.

Ash sighed, thinking about having to deal with this snake more. He cared about him, he did, but if Shorter and him were really together, that just meant that he’d have to spend a lot of time with him.

Eiji immediately went and hugged Yut Lung tightly, Yut Lung making a noise in protest.

He looked a little flushed to Ash, maybe coming down with something since he didn’t exactly look well.

“I missed you so much,” Eiji said as he squeezed the other omega.

“Y-yeah, me too,” Yut Lung said, patting Eiji’s back.

“Are you okay?” Eiji asked as he pulled back from him.

Ash watched as Yut Lung seemed to grab out for Eiji but instead fell to his knees, his face red and his eyes wides. 

“Yut Lung, are you okay?” Ash asked, as he got up from the couch.

It was then that he smelled it, Yut Lung’s sweet scent, telling him that he was in heat. It smelled sweet and enticing but it also smelled wrong. He couldn’t place it though until he thought about the fact that he didn’t think he’d ever heard that Yut Lung had gone into heat while he was with them. Was he sick?

“Yut Lung, what’s wrong?” Eiji asked, kneeling down next to him.

Yut Lung shook his head

“Should we take you to the hospital?” Ash asked Yut Lung, worried that something was wrong because of his heat.

“N-no,” Yut Lung shook his head, looking up at them with tears in his eyes. “It’ll just has to pass.”

Ash could smell the distress in Yut Lung’s scent, worrying him even more. 

Eiji must not have recognized it as Yut Lung being in heat, having not smelled another omega besides himself in heat.

“What can we do to help?” Eiji asked, trying to get something out of Yut Lung.

Ash watched as Eiji put a hand on Yut Lung’s back and rubbed it soothingly. Should they just take him to a hospital?

“It just needs to pass,” Yut Lung gritted out. “It’s my heat”

“Ash, is it normal for omega’s to be like this?” Eiji asked, looking up at him with worry on his face. “This seems painful but in a different way.”

“I-I don’t think so,” Ash said. He hadn’t been around a lot of omegas in heat, Eiji was the first one he’d experienced up close but he didn’t think they’d ever be like this.

“You’re right, we need to take him to the hospital I think,” Eiji said.

“No!” Yut Lung yelled, gripping onto Eiji. “Please no.”

“But you’re not doing well,” Eiji shook his head. “I don’t think this is normal.”

“It’s normal for me,” Yut Lung told him as he squeezed his eyes shut.

Yut Lung looked like he was in terrible pain, Ash able to see spasms going through his body as the omega clenched his eyes shut in pain.

Ash felt responsible for the omega then. He may not be his biggest fan but maybe it was the pack dynamic coming into play. He just really needed to help Yut Lung. He couldn’t stand to see him in so much pain. 

“Screw it, I don’t care what he thinks,” Ash said. “We’re going to the hospital. This isn’t normal.”

“No-“

“Nope, don’t try and protest,” Ash shook his head at the boy, grabbing his keys. “You’re going to the hospital.”

With that Ash went over and picked up the omega who tried to protest. Yut Lung seemed more sick then able to get out of Ash’s arms.

They quickly left the apartment, going to Ash’s car where Eiji got into the back seat with Yut Lung.

Ash turned to pull into traffic, able to smell the car getting overtaken by the smell of an omega in heat but clearly distressed. Maybe it was because he considered Yut Lung as part of his pack or because he just was so taken with Eiji but he didn’t have any want for Yut Lung like that. He just felt the need to get the poor omega that was sick some help. He could feel himself getting angry as he sped up.

Yut Lung had said this was normal for him, to be in this amount of pain. Golzine and his men had to have seen this then and did nothing to help the poor thing. He got angrier and angrier as he drove, definitely speeding as he drove to the hospital.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter will explain exactly why Yut Lung's heat came over him so fast, I promise!  
> Let me know what you think :)


	28. Chapter 28

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New chapter yay! I'm only like semi happy with this chapter. I just knew if I didn't update today I wasn't going to be able to update for a long while after this so I wanted to give you something :)
> 
> So that last episode... I didn't bawl my eyes out like a little baby _at all_. Nope, never did that. I still just don't even know how to feel about it, ugh. That stupid show has throughly wrecked me but I loved it so much.
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

Eiji had felt helpless as he watched Yut Lung crumble in front of him. His scent had smelled awful, this sweet scent mixed with a distressed and in pain scent. It made his nose wrinkle at the onslaught of it. When Yut Lung had said it was his heat, he knew that couldn’t have been normal. His heat wasn’t exactly easy but it wasn’t like this. Yut Lung was clearly in great amount of pain.

He was grateful that Ash had the right mind to take them to the hospital. Eiji didn’t know what to do, still unused to these types of things but he at least knew that the way Yut Lung was acting wasn’t normal.

Ash was speeding as he approached the hospital, Eiji worried that he’d get pulled over. He swung into the Emergency center spot, screeching to a halt.

“Eiji you take him in while I park,” Ash told him.

Eiji could smell that Ash was upset, looking back in the rearview mirror worriedly at Yut Lung.

“Okay,” Eiji said, getting out before helping Yut Lung.

Yut Lung didn’t necessarily want to cooperate, his legs buckling as soon as he got out. “This is so unnecessary,” Yut Lung said through gritted teeth.

“Yes it is, let us take care of you,” Eiji told him as he helped him back up and walked him into the hospital.

Eiji wrinkled his nose at the smell. It smelled sterile to him in a way he probably wouldn’t have realized before when he was human. It was almost too much for his nose.

A nurse immediately came up to him and started talking but wasn’t really listening to them, just focusing on Yut Lung who had turned pale before he doubled over again and vomited on the floor, making Eiji cringe.

“Sir, can you tell me at least what’s going on?” another nurse asked as they came up to him.

The first nurse grabbed Yut Lung out of Eiji’s hands and began to escort him down the hall and through big swinging doors, saying comforting things as disappeared.

“Wait, no, I want to come with,” Eiji protested, trying to push past the nurse in front of him.

“Sir, what’s going on with your friend?” the nurse in front of him asked again, holding onto Eiji’s shoulders tightly.

Eiji smelled that this nurse was human, an absence of dynamic smell coming from him similar to a beta but slightly blander maybe.

“H-he’s in heat,” Eiji said quickly, hoping if he said something they would let him be by the other omega again. “He hasn’t had one in I don’t know how long but he looked like he was in so much pain so we brought him here and-“

“Okay, okay,” the nurse said, letting go of Eiji. “He’ll be okay. Can you at least tell me if he intentionally tried to not have a heat?”

“I don’t think he takes anything,” Eiji shook his head.

“Alright, can you fill out some information on your friend?”

Eiji nodded, letting the nurse walk him over to an office as someone came out to clean up Yut Lung’s vomit. “When can I see him?”

“Soon, let’s just get this filled out first,” the nurse said softly, having sit as he handed him a clipboard with a paper on it.

Eiji filled out the forms, the nurse telling him he could wait in the waiting room until they said that he could see Yut Lung. It made him antsy, having to wait to see Yut Lung. He couldn’t understand why he couldn’t just see him. If he could see him, did that mean something was seriously wrong with him?

Just as he was thinking the worse, Ash walked in, making Eiji relax marginally. 

Ash came and sat with him immediately, wrapping an arm around him. His scent was comforting to Eiji, feeling like it anchored him and stopped him from overthinking about Yut Lung.

“Where is he?” Ash asked softly, rubbing Eiji’s arm.

Eiji shook his head. “They took him almost immediately. I don’t know.”

Ash nodded but was clearly upset, Eiji seeing his jaw clench. “Okay, we’ll wait then. I called Shorter too so he should be coming soon.”

Eiji didn’t say anything, just rested his head on Ash’s shoulder and gripped his hand tightly.

Realistically Eiji figured Yut Lung would be okay but the fact that they took him from Eiji made him upset and jittery. He felt like if he was with he could just know that he was okay, just being able to see him and that was driving him a little crazy.

“Mr. Okumura?” someone said, as they came through the doors that Eiji had seen them take Yut Lung through.

“Yes?” Eiji said, immediately getting up to go to the woman.

“I’m Dr. Smith, and if you’d like, you can come see Mr. Lee now,” she smiled. “You can bring your friend too.”

“I’m going to wait for Shorter,” Ash told him immediately. “He’ll want to see you, not me. So, I’ll see you soon.”

Ash kissed Eiji’s forehead before Eiji turned and left to follow the woman. He would rather have Ash come with but he understood. Even if they seemed to be getting along a little better, he doubted Yut Lung would want to see him right not but Eiji still wanted Ash. Maybe it was because he had just finished his heat but he still felt hormonal and in need of his alpha, even if it was just having him near.

Eiji followed the doctor into a room where Yut Lung laying in a bed, hooked up to an IV and looked completely out of it. It didn’t even look like he could keep his eyes open. Eiji could smell the heat smell from earlier but it was like it was getting masked by this chemical smell coming from Yut Lung that made Eiji frown.

“Is he okay?” Eiji asked as he went up to him.

Yut Lung did say anything, his eyes drifting shut at seeing Eiji.

“He’s okay,” she nodded. “His body couldn’t keep up with how fast his heat approached him, most likely because he’s not used to having a heat. You said that you didn’t know the last time he had one and he was able to tell us that it had been about 8 months. That’s a long time, especially if it’s because your body is doing that.”

Eiji went and sat down in the chair next to the bed, grabbing Yut Lung’s hand. “What did you do to calm him down? And he’s not in pain anymore?”

“No, at least he shouldn’t be,” she shook her head. “We gave him a sedative and pain medication along with a type of suppressant that we use in emergencies for things like this, to help make the heat dull a bit. He’s going to need to be on medication to regulate his heats, most likely for life to prevent this from happening again. My guess is his body started going into a ‘pre heat’ not that long ago but he was unaware of it for whatever reason. Either way, it was good you brought him here.”

Yut Lung looked so small in the hospital bed, clearly fighting to stay awake as he opened his eyes once again, making a sound of protest as he turned a little.

“If you need anything, you can press the buzzer but I’ll leave you be for bit, okay?” she said, putting her hand on Eiji’s shoulder. “But he’ll be alright. It’s just the sedative we gave him since he was being extremely difficult to get the IV in.”

“Liar,” Yut Lung slurred, turning to face Eiji.

“It’s a pretty heavy sedative,” she laughed. “He was being extremely uncooperative.”

Eiji nodded turning to glare at Yut Lung, squeezing his hand who weakly squeezed back.

“Don’t scare me like that again,” Eiji huffed once the doctor had left the room. 

“Don’ take me to a hospi’al when I said I didn’ wanna go,” Yut Lung said, well slurred some more.  
Whatever it was they gave him, Yut Lung seemed to be very content now.

Eiji saw that Yut Lung’s color had returned a bit, making him feel a bit better.

“Shorter’s on his way too,” Eiji told him, watching as Yut Lung grinned.

“He is? Aww,” Yut Lung said dreamily, shutting his eyes briefly before opening them again.   
“Where is he?”

“Not here yet,” Eiji laughed.

Eiji sat by Yut Lung’s bed quietly, Yut Lung asking random questions sometimes about odd things. He asked why Eiji’s neck looked the way it did, all bandaged up and didn’t quite understand the reason so he decided to try and rip the bandage off, making Eiji have to shove him back into the bed.

Eiji heard a knock on the door then, turning to see Ash and Shorter walk in. Ash still looked worried and Shorter just looked awful and stressed. His hair was down and made him seem even more sad. Eiji could smell the upset and sadness coming from them, giving him a headache with the heat and chemical smell coming from Yut Lung.

“Eiji, h-he’s okay, right?” Shorter asked worriedly, as he came around the other side of the bed.

“He’s okay,” Eiji nodded. “He’s awake too, sometimes. He keeps fighting the sedative they gave him.”

Ash snorted. “Of course they had to give him a sedative.”

“’s tha Ash?” Yut Lung asked as he opened his eyes, turning to frown at Eiji.

“Yeah, and Shorter’s here too,” Eiji nodded, pointing to Shorter on the other side of Yut Lung.

Yut Lung turned to look at Shorter, ripping his hand away from Eiji. He grabbed Shorter by his cheeks and pulled him in. “’m so glad your here,” Yut Lung hummed, smiling contently. 

Eiji didn’t think he had ever seen Yut Lung be that vulnerable and open before, smiling like that. He almost felt like he was intruding watching the two.

“Why did you have to scare me like this?” Shorter asked as he grabbed Yut Lung’s hand.

Yut Lung fell back into the bed before shrugging. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”

“So he gets an apology and I don’t?” Eiji asked, poking Yut Lung’s side.

“You did the thing I didn’ wan’” Yut Lung slurred at him.

“You’re clearly fine,” Ash laughed.

“Am not!” Yut Lung said loudly. “I need special treatment.”

Eiji giggled as Yut Lung told Ash that he needed special things from now on. Yut Lung was still very much drugged and that much was evident.

Eventually he got quieter, eyelids drooping even more. They realized that they should probably give him some space to rest but Eiji was intent on staying. He couldn’t just leave Yut Lung here. He’d probably be angry if he knew that they brought him here and then just left.

So Eiji buzzed a nurse asking if that was okay, she told him that was fine that he could just use the bed next him and showed him where they kept the blankets.

Eiji managed to get Shorter and Ash leave, Shorter very reluctant to leave but listened to Eiji which surprised him.

Eiji wanted to talk to Yut Lung about things with Shorter but he knew now was a terrible time.

“Stay,” he heard Yut Lung say, grabbing at Eiji’s hand. “Please?”

“Of course,” Eiji said, squeezing the other omega’s hand as he watched him seem to drift off again.

Eiji still didn’t understand why Yut Lung’s heat happened so fast and how he got so sick. So he decided to look online for answers.

Eiji knew that doing that wasn’t always the best way to get information but figured he’d get something. He eventually found a website that seemed legit, seeming to be more of a medical website.

It talked a lot about mating and the medical parts behind mating but he scrolled through that, looking for something about omegas and heats. It was kind of difficult because he couldn’t just look up ‘how can an omegas heat just overcome them the way it did’.

As he was looking, he found something else on how omegas were with each other, saying:  
 _Omegas tended to be close wth one another, feeling a bond type of association with each other. It could be a close friendship or even something as significant as a parent/child type of bond that they feel toward each other._

He looked over at Yut Lung, still wondering why his heat started now of all times and how they had all missed it. Was it because they had all been concerned about Eiji’s heat? Was he to blame? Yut Lung’s scent hadn’t smelled any different in the time before to him so of course he wouldn’t think anything of it.

It was all so much. 

Eiji sighed as he looked back at his phone, thinking about how when he was human he didn’t have to worry about any of this.

He scrolled through the website some more, finding a section about omega heats and other omegas.

_A head omega in a pack, while slightly outdated still take part in everyday lives, is the omega that is mated with or bonded to the alpha of a pack. They are very influential over the whole pack, even other alphas that are below their mated alpha will feel the need to obey them. Head omegas tend to have their heats first while the rest of the omegas in the pack heats would follow shortly after, having a triggering effect on the omegas below the head omega._

_It is like this so the other omegas had a chance at enticing a mate of their own, their bodies trying to say that they too could attract a mate. Once the omegas heats are synced up to follow the head omegas, they don’t have to worry about having random heat, tending to be on schedule._

Was Yut Lung’s body following this rule? That was a little ridiculous but it made sense why they didn’t really detect it. It kind of seemed to snowball out of control rather quickly.

Eiji turned his phone off, kind of sick of reading through a bunch of articles. He set it on the stand next to the bed before getting up and stretching.

“Are you going to stay?” Yut Lung asked him, surprising Eiji that he was awake.

“I am, don’t worry about that,” Eiji smiled.

Eiji saw Yut Lung flush before he moved over on the bed and patted the spot next to him. “C-could you sleep here?”

Yut Lung looked like a child as he asked, needing his parent to comfort him from the nightmares and who was Eiji to say no to that face.

“Of course,” Eiji said, kicking off his shoes before he got in bed with the omega.

Yut Lung attached himself to Eiji immediately, wrapping his arm around his waist and resting his head on his chest. Maybe it was the situation, having Yut Lung hooked up to an IV but he seemed frail in Eiji’s arms.

Eiji fell asleep quickly, Yut Lung’s scent surrounding him. It still smelled chemical and odd but it was becoming more and more his own.

—

“Wakey wakey, eggs and bakey!” Eiji heard yelled in his ear.

He groaned, turning away from the loud noise that could only be Shorter. He turned into Yut Lung’s hair that was literally everywhere. He thought it was so beautiful, except now. Now he wanted to chop it off and watch it burn.

Eiji managed to get out of the tangle of Yut Lung’s hair to sit up and see Shorter grinning at him with food in his hands, a tray of eggs and bacon.

“Get it?”

“Yes, now can you please stop being so loud?” Eiji huffed.

Ash snorted from behind Shorter, sitting on a couch a little away from them.

Eiji looked down to see that Yut Lung had attached himself to his waist, still asleep.

“Oh, he’s still asleep,” they heard from the door.

They turned to see the doctor from before smiling at them.

“We just woke up,” Eiji said tiredly.

“That’s alright,” she said, waving her hand. “I’m really not surprised. The sedation and pain medication make a nice cocktail of sleeping aid.”

“So, he’s going to be okay right?” Shorter asked her, setting the food down and looking concerned.

“He’ll be just fine,” she insisted. “I want him to have a consult with one of our doctors that specializes in omega heats that will be prescribing him his medication. It’s similar to a suppressant but much safer for long term use. He just needs to stay here until the ‘heat’ is over. It’s not going to be a real heat though and it’ll be very short but once we get him on some medication it should regulate.”

“Why does he need a consult with another doctor?” Shorter frowned, looking over Yut Lung still asleep.

“Before he was sedated, he mentioned that his heats were always this painful,” she told him. “If this is true then there’s an underlying cause and just throwing medication at it isn’t going to make it better. It’ll help but not make it better so seeing a specialist is advised.”

“Um, about his heat being so sudden,” Eiji said. “I wonder if it has anything to do with being a pack?”

“Why do you bring that up?” she asked, frowning slightly.

“I just finished my heat about 2 days ago,” Eiji explained. “I read something online last night that said head omegas would have their heat first and the other omegas in a pack would have them after. We live together and when I had told him to come back home, I hadn’t thought that us seeing each other again would do this.”

“Ah, we always say to not look things up online, they just make you worry,” the doctor laughed. “But that would explain just why his head came over him so fast and so badly. I initially thought it was just an extremely bad heat because he’s not used to it but maybe his own body prolonged it so it happened after yours. You would be the ‘head omega’ then?”

Eiji shrugged, still feeling weird about calling himself that.

“That’s a very real possibility then,” she told them. “And his body just couldn’t handle the heat because it just happened so fast.”

“Does he still need to see a specialist then?” Shorter asked quickly, looking hopeful.

“Yes,” the doctor nodded. “He said this was normal. It’s not normal at all so he should see someone about it. But I’ll come back in a little bit when he’s awake because I want to talk with him about everything. I couldn’t really before he was drugged. But if you need anything, just let us know.”

“Wait, how long do you think he’ll be here?” Shorter asked. 

“Another 2 or so days,” she told him. “Since he had already started his heat, the suppressant can only do so much but it’ll be significantly shorter and milder then it would have been without it.” She gave them a smile before she left.

Shorter sighed, sitting at the foot of the bed.

“D-did you not even smell that his scent was changing?” Eiji asked Shorter, looking down at Yut Lung. He didn’t want to blame Shorter but he was the one that was with him the last 2 weeks. He was the one that should have noticed the change, even a little.

Shorter opened his mouth before shutting it, looking away from Eiji.

“Eiji, it’s no use trying to find blame in someone,” Ash sighed. “He’s going to be okay. We all could have noticed something was wrong with him but we didn’t. We’re all to blame.”

Eiji looked over at Ash who simply shook his head, his eyes telling him to not ask further. Eiji sighed, resting his hand on Yut Lung’s head and trying to pull the snarls out of his hair.

“That feels nice,” Yut Lung murmured, snuggling closer to Eiji’s side. 

“Are you awake?” Eiji asked. “Or are you talking in your sleep.”

“”m awake,” Yut Lung slurred before opening his eyes blearily.

“Eiji, can I talk with him for a bit?” Shorter asked tentatively.

Eiji wanted to say no and be mean to Shorter and selfish with Yut Lung but Shorter looked sad so he nodded, extracting himself from Yut Lung who immediately tried to attach himself to Shorter once he got close enough.

Eiji didn’t want to leave the room, he really didn’t, feeling like if he could physically see or touch Yut Lung, something was going to go wrong.

“Come on, Eiji,” Ash said, directing him down the hall.

“H-he’s the one to blame, right?” Eiji asked Ash once they were far enough away, feeling bad for even thinking it.

“He feels really bad,” Ash explained. “He already feels like this whole situation is his fault. Could you please go a little easy on him?”

Eiji frowned, feeling Ash wrap his arm around his waist. He leaned into the touch, liking the contact.

Maybe he was being harsh and maybe his feelings and hormones were still all over the place. He just wanted something to blame and that was wrong of him to take it out on Shorter when he seemed so worried about him. He clearly cared about Yut Lung and Eiji had to remember that there were other people besides him for the omega.

He really did feel like a parent, trying to find something wrong with the person their child was seeing.

It was stupid but he couldn’t help how much he cared for Yut Lung. He might be harsh and rude sometimes but he loved the omega and would do anything to make sure he was safe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you think!  
> I felt like I was all over the place writing this chapter for some reason so I hope it reads cohesive lol


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